My Hope That Keeps Me Going
by heytay1
Summary: Charlie Salvatore is Stefan's twin sister. A year after Damon is captured, Charlie is brought in as the first female Augustine vampire where she meets the love of her life, Enzo. Now, 50 years later and heartbroken, she attends college in the same place that she lost everything. But what if Enzo isn't dead? What if Enzo has been holding on just for her, his hope?
1. I Know What You Did Last Summer

HELLO MY LOVELY READERS! This is an idea I've had for a little while now, and with the 5th season of "The Vampire Diaries" and the great feedback I've had from my other story "She's Back" I've decided to go ahead and start writing it. Especially since the introduction of Enzo. I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely LOVE this character. So why not combine the idea I've had with my new favorite character? I hope you guys like this story. It will start at the beginning of season 5, but won't follow every single episode. Just a few at the beginning and then obviously the ones Enzo is in, maybe a chapter or two that aren't episodes. I wanted to wait to find out if Enzo was coming back from the other side and now that we know he is, I can finally post this.

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD, unfortunately. The Vampire Diaries and its' characters belong to the rightful owners. **

Please review and let me know what you think. J

**_BACKGROUND_**

Charlotte (Charlie) Salvatore is Stefan Salvatore's twin sister. Although she looks like Stefan, she and Damon were more alike. While she does have Stefan's caring traits for family and friends, she also embraces who she is as a vampire like Damon. She's done things she's not proud of, but then again what vampire hasn't?

Since she _is _Stefan's younger twin, she looks like Stefan: dirty blonde/brown hair that falls in natural waves to her waist, strong facial features, a slim figure, but her eyes are a mixture of both of her brothers – Icy blue with hints of gold and green flecks throughout. She was always complimented on how unique her eyes were. How when she looked at someone it felt like she was seeing into their soul and they could get lost in them.

Family is everything to Charlie. She would do anything for brothers, and it broke her heart that they were torn apart by that vampire bitch Katherine. She kept in touch with both brothers throughout their lifetime, but once she turned she felt she had to go out on her own. Discover who she was in this new and scary world.

Then the day came where she went to visit Stefan, in Mystic Falls of all places, and got the joy of seeing not only one of her brothers, but two. Words couldn't explain the elation she felt at the idea of her family being back together… then walked in the carbon copy of the person who destroyed it.

She was hostile towards Elena at first, naturally, but she came to terms with the fact that Elena wasn't going anywhere. Her family was together, in their hometown, and relatively happy so she was going to make the best of it.

So much had happened in the few years they spent in Mystic Falls together: Stefan and Elena were together, Katherine showed back up, Klaus trying to kill… well everyone and taking Stefan, Elena turning and being SIRED to Damon, Silas. It was all so hard to keep up with, but somehow she managed.

Not only was Elena sired to Damon, she was _IN LOVE_ with him. She had such conflicting emotions: on one hand she was so happy that Damon finally found happiness after being strung along by Katherine for so long, but on the other hand, seeing Stefan's heartbreak brought tears to her eyes. She wasn't happy that Elena had, in lieu of a better term, switched brothers, but you can't help who you fall in love with.

In all her years though, Charlie never found love, well none that she was willing to talk about. Damon knew, but he kept his word all this time and has never told a soul. Stefan didn't know, he didn't need to. It's not like it would make a difference anyway.

So now here she was, at the boarding house… alone, with a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Stefan left as determined by the agreement of who Elena chose. Damon and Elena were caught up in their own little world. Bonnie was nowhere to be found. Caroline was with her mom already getting started on college preparations. So that left her to occupy her time alone.

She wanted to go with Stefan. As much as she hated to say it, the veil was going to be back up soon and Lexi would be stuck back on the other side, so he would be alone. However, for the first time in all of her existence, she was attempting to live a semi normal life. That included college.

She was registered for Whitmore. All ready to live in a dorm with her friends Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie. Stefan knew how much this meant to her and insisted she stayed. He said a little time alone would do him good and assured her that he would be okay. But she couldn't fight the feeling she had started to get some time after Stefan had left. Like something was seriously wrong but she just couldn't figure out what…

* * *

**I Know What You Did Last Summer**

"There were issues at home. Ever since I lost my parents, my aunt, I've been acting out… drugs, drinking. I was looking for attention, so I lit my house of fire and faked my own death." Jeremy said going over his cover story with Elena and Charlie.

"Really stress the drug thing. And I'd definitely say that the fire was an accident, because there's crazy, and then there's… well me." Elena winced remembering the time she turned off her humanity.

"Yeah, if you just say you lit your house on fire you'll be labeled arsonist of the town and you'll become the scary story that parents use to get their teenager's on the straight and narrow." Charlie mentioned.

"Or I could just not go back, considering my school already had a memorial for me." Jeremy suggested.

A car honking outside disrupts the groups' conversation while Damon shows up carrying a suitcase.

"Caroline just pulled up."

"I-I can't leave. I should stay and at least wait until Jeremy settles in to school-" Elena was cut off by Damon.

"You're leaving. You're going to college. You're gonna drink cheap beer, protest things you don't care about, and keep the frat boys away from my sister." He tells her earning a glare and a scoff from Charlie which he ignores. "And _I _am gonna take care of your little brother. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about."

"Okay, well at least Whitmore is only a few hours away, so if there's anything you need, Jer, just call me-" She was interrupted again, this time by Jeremy.

"Hey, I'll see you on laundry day." The Gilbert siblings embraced while Damon turns his attention to Charlie.

"You dear sister, are going to stay away from all college guys, get a good education, and act like the respectable young vampire we all know you're not." He explained.

Damon had always been a little over protective of his younger sister but it was his job. He had to protect her from the dangers the world had to offer and keep her from the heartbreak that came with it. He had to scare off the monsters and calm her racing thoughts from the bad dreams. But there were some nightmares she held that he could never protect her from no matter how hard he tried, but he was going to give it his all to protect her from future struggles.

With Charlie's prospects of going to Whitmore, he knew she would be having more nightmares than usual. He insisted that she just stay with him and then go to a different college in the future if she still wanted to. But she told him that she wasn't going to miss out on college with her friends. The place may bring back awful memories, but things were different now. Those people were gone and they weren't coming back. The place that once caused fear and pain was now a simple, normal college, right? She insisted she could do this. He still worried though, because not only did the place bring back daunting memories, but heartbreaking ones. It was times like those that he realized how strong his little sister truly was.

"Yes sir. I will be the ideal vampire. The vampire all other vampires look to for guidance in times of struggle, the one who never does wrong and jumps in to save the day. I will be the epitome of good and controlled vampire." She told him.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into a fit of laughter. They both knew that everything that Charlie just said was basically a lie. Charlie had good control over her bloodlust, about as much as a 'normal' vampire (whatever that is,) but she was known to let loose every now and then and she wasn't a ripper. She knew when to stop and how much blood loss would kill a person, but that doesn't mean she always chose to. It's not like she was a psychotic vampire bent on extinguishing the human race, but she had the temper of her non-look-a-like brother and acted out occasionally. She also had the tendency to snap a neck or two when pushed enough.

While she had a touch of Stefan's sympathetic attitude, when it came to random humans she had the thought process Damon did: Snatch-Eat-Erase. She doesn't just kill for the fun of it, usually, but put her loved ones in danger and she'll make you think dealing with Klaus was a walk in the park. She'd do anything for those she loved. So basically, don't piss her off and you should be fine.

"Alright, alright, just try and behave yourself." Damon said.

"Don't worry. I'll even stick to blood bags as much as possible." She smiled at Damon. The two hugged each other and Damon kissed her on the top her head before letting her go, but not before whispering "if you want to come home call me and I'll be there." wanting to make sure his sister felt safe.

Charlie talked to Jeremy for a few minutes while Damon and Elena said their goodbyes.

"So how do you think this whole long-distance thing is gonna work?" She asked him.

"Well, I personally plan on forgetting about you the second you walk out the door."

Elena gave him a look before taking his face between her hands and kissing him. Charlie and Jeremy looked at each other and shared an eye-role.

"I love you." Elena said after pulling away with Damon returning the sentiment.

"Alright love birds, we have a college campus to destroy… I mean embrace." Charlie winked over to Elena ushering her to the door.

"Alright, off you go. Elena, try to keep her in line." Damon said opening the door for the two college students.

"Hey, I'm older than her." Charlie complained.

"Which means you have more experience in causing trouble." Damon scolded her. "Just don't let her out of your sight." He said to Elena and getting a kick in the shin from Charlie.

"Don't worry. She'll be good." Elena said.

The two finally made their way out of the house but before Damon could close the door Elena pushed it back open kissing him one more time while the two could here Charlie pretend to gag in the background.

* * *

The three best friends were making their way around campus and discussing the weird dreams Elena had been having.

"You're dreaming about Stefan?" Caroline asked her childhood friend confused as to what's going on.

"They're not dreams, it's more of a… feeling." Elena explained to her.

"I know what you mean." Charlie spoke up. "I don't know if it's just a twin thing or what, but something just doesn't feel right. It also doesn't help that I haven't heard from him all summer. I mean I know he needed time for himself but I figured he would at least call."

"Maybe you should call him." Elena suggested to Charlie.

"So he can hear how happy Elena is with Damon?" Caroline asked. "I think he just needs to get his head together. He'll call you when he's ready."

"So we should just ignore this feeling?" Elena asked the blonde. "I have this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach and it's gotten stronger the past few weeks."

"Okay, Elena, that pit is called guilt. You feel terrible because you broke Stefan's heart, and that nagging feeling is your brain waking up to tell you that you've made a horrible, yet completely reversible mistake." Caroline told her.

"Nice try. Besides, Stefan and I left things in a good place." Elena mentioned.

"No offense Elena, but it doesn't mean it hurts him any less since you chose Damon. I mean maybe Caroline's right and he's just off having the summer of his life and is too busy to call." Charlie said.

The other two girls could see the look of hurt cross Charlie's face at the thought of Stefan not calling her.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine." Liz Forbes spoke up slightly startling the girls as they forgot she was there.

Elena decided to change the subject. "We're in college."

"I finally get my college experience." Charlie said happy with the new topic

"We actually made it. We're here!" Caroline exclaimed happily.

None of them knew that Bonnie was stood right next to them. "We're all here together."

* * *

_(Whitmore College- The Girls' Door Room)_

They all began to unpack their things. There were four single beds in the room: Elena and Charlie on one side with Caroline and the empty bed for Bonnie on the other.

"You brought a Panini press?" Charlie asked Caroline.

"Small appliances, by the fridge." Caroline stated already having a place for everything.

"Okay, that's the last one. All right, give me a goodbye hug before I change my mind and drag you home with me." Liz said hugging her daughter not wanting to let go. "You can call as much as you want, you know?"

"Mom, we'll be fine." Caroline said returning the hug with equal feeling.

Liz then looked to Elena. "Come here." She said before embracing her daughter's best friend. "This is where your dad fell in love with medicine, you know? He would be really proud to see you here."

Elena smiled remembering her dad. "Thank you."

Liz then looked to Charlie to give her a hug but noticed she was staring out the window at seemingly nothing. The other two girls noticed the silence at looked over at Charlie, beginning to worry at her glazed over look.

"Charlie, sweetie, are you alright?" Liz asked getting her attention.

"What?" Charlie said breaking away from her thoughts. "Oh yeah, just thinking about how Damon will be able to work the coffee maker without me."

The other three laughed, although they knew that something else was on her mind. They left it alone though knowing she would talk if she wanted to.

"Don't worry. I'll check on him now and then." Liz said hugging the older vampire.

"Okay, go! Before I change my mind and make you stay." Caroline said, shooing her mom away.

"I'm going, I'm going! I love you. Bye, girls." Liz said walking out the door.

The three girls looked at each other excitedly.

"So? Roomies, I think we should drink to something." Elena said.

"Well, I couldn't agree more…" Caroline said opening her suitcase and pulling out three blood bags and distributing them to her friends.

"To us, and college, and being functional vampires." Elena said starting a toast.

"To human experiences." Charlie added.

"To the next chapter in our lives." Caroline finished the toast.

They all 'clinked' the blood bags together when they heard a knock at the door. With vampire speed, they hid the blood bags then turned to face whoever was at the door. An unfamiliar girl walked in carrying a bunch of stuff… as if she was moving in.

"Hey." The unknown girl said.

"Uh, who are you?" Caroline asked.

"Oh, I'm Megan. Your roommate." The girl answered.

The three vampires looked at each other, confused as to what was going on.

* * *

The four girls were walking awkwardly together on campus. Charlie had stayed behind for a minute to get her temper under control over not compelling the girl away.

"So your current boyfriend, Damian-"

"Damon." Elena corrected Megan.

"-is your ex's brother and Charlie's twin?"

"Right." Elena answered her.

"You and Stefan are friends, but three months ago he left without saying goodbye."

"Do you think that I should call him?" Elena asked her.

Megan commented "No way," at the same time that Caroline said "Absolutely not."

"Hey guys." Charlie said catching up with them.

"Hey. We were just telling Megan about the Stefan situation." Caroline said filling her in.

"Yeah. Why don't you call him Charlie? I'm sure he would answer you." Megan asked her.

"He needs some time on his own. He'll call me when he can." Charlie said not really wanting to talk about it further.

Megan, catching the hint to drop the subject asked both Charlie and Caroline. "Do you guys have boyfriends?"

"Nope." Charlie said, not too keen on this topic either.

"I do. His name's Tyler." Caroline said seeing Charlie's further frustration. "He had to miss move-in day, but he'll be here for the first day of classes."

"Assuming he registers. And picks a dorm. And buys books." Elena listed off the many things Tyler had still to do before starting school.

"Speaking of minding one's own business, let's talk roommate ground rules. Privacy is very important." Caroline said to Megan.

"Same here."

"I have low blood sugar. My diet's finicky, so keep your paws off my stuff." Caroline said intending to be mean strictly to keep her away from the vampire food pantry.

"We'll split up the shelves." Megan said unfazed by her tone.

"And if I suddenly get up to leave or disappear for a while, don't follow me or look for me." Caroline stated lastly.

"Okay… sounds good." Megan agreed.

"Great, then we agree on everything." Elena said breaking the weird atmosphere.

Someone carrying a flyer approached the roommates. "Excuse me, ladies. Party at Whitmore House tonight." He said handing a flyer to Caroline.

"We'll be there." Elena answered for the group.

The cute boy looked at Caroline and said, "I hope so," before walking away.

Elena wrapped her arm around Caroline with a giddy smile on her face and said. "I love college."

The two friends noticed Charlie staring off again at nothing. Something had been different with her since they got here. Based on the conversation from earlier they figured she was thinking about Stefan and decided to leave the topic alone. They were totally unaware of the different thoughts plaguing Charlie's mind.

* * *

Back at the dorm room the three vampires were enjoying the human free room while Megan was out showering. Elena and Charlie seemed lost in their own worlds until Caroline loudly shut a drawer snapping the two back to reality.

"Did you notice how Megan's juicer takes up all the small appliance space? She has an entire drawer dedicated to organic linen." Caroline complained.

"What happened to privacy?" Elena asked.

"Maybe if she didn't take such long showers, I wouldn't have time to go through her stuff." Caroline sassed.

"How are you okay with a fourth roommate?" Charlie spoke up from her spot lounging on Elena's bed.

"Because we're trying to be functional, and being functional means we need friends." Elena explained.

"We also need personal space. I mean, what if I suddenly get a craving, and I want to eat her?" Charlie said.

"Or our blood bags go bad because we can't store them in the mini-fridge? Ugh, and what the hell is protein water?" Caroline pulled out said water from the fridge and opening it. "Maybe if I drink it all, she'll wanna move out."

"Caroline, no-" Elena tried to stop her before Caroline started coughing up the water.

Charlie shot up from her spot and joined Elena and Caroline who was muttering "vervain."

Megan opened the bathroom door, "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she's, uh, she's fine." Elena said while Megan gave a towel to Caroline.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Water just went down the wrong pipe." Caroline lied. "I'm okay, really. I shouldn't have touched your stuff. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. It just sounded like someone was _dying _out here. Well, I'm glad you're okay!" She said before leaving again.

"She knows who we are – she drinks vervain water!" Caroline exclaims angrily.

"It doesn't mean she knows about us." Elena argued.

"Seriously? We share a bathroom with this girl! What is she's a hunter and she stakes us when we're in the shower? Or she steals our daylight rings while we're asleep and then we burst into flames when the sun comes up?!"

"Don't you think that, if she was a hunter, we'd be dead by now?" Elena asked.

"She obviously knows about vampires because of vervain. I think we should lock her up. Let the vervain get out of her system, then compel her to forget about us." Charlie gave her idea.

"Charlie, I'm not kidnapping our roommate! The best way to convince her that we're normal, is to act normal, and do normal, human, freshman-y stuff." Elena explained.

"Such as?" Caroline asked.

A sly grin spread across Elena's face and she started moving her shoulders as if she was dancing.

* * *

**_(WHITEMORE HOUSE PARTY)_**

The girls made their way to the party, excited to do something a normal college student would do when they ran into the young attractive man who handed out flyers earlier.

"Hey, I remember you." The guy said approaching them.

"Hey. Flyer guy." Elena greeted.

"Jesse, technically, but 'Flyer Guy' works, too." Jesse said.

"I'm Elena, this is Caroline and Charlie." Elena pointed to her two friends.

"Nice to meet you two." His said, his gaze lingering on Caroline.

"Hi." Caroline said whereas Charlie simply nodded her head in greeting. The two girls then walk away, ready to start partying.

Elena sends Jesse an apologetic look before following them.

"You can't be nice to the guy?" Elena asked Caroline. The guy was obviously giving her attention and Caroline was blowing him off.

"I'm with Tyler." Caroline said, as if that was explanation enough.

"Are you? Because he hasn't called." Elena debated.

"From the mountains of Appalachia?" Caroline rebutted.

"I'm just saying, I don't want you to get your hopes up thinking that he's coming, when he hasn't really shown much interest." Elena tried to reason.

"Did you tell Damon you were having dreams about Stefan?" Caroline said.

Elena couldn't say anything at that. Caroline felt bad however at the look that crossed Charlie's face at the reminder of her un-communicative twin brother.

Elena and Caroline came to a sudden stop whereas Charlie walked right in.

"What the hell?" Caroline asked.

"Someone must own this place. We have to bit invited in." Elena said but then noticed Charlie could enter the house. "Wait, how can you get in?"

Charlie froze trying to come up with an excuse. "Um, well, uh, when I came to register they gave me a tour. I was invited then." She lied. Luckily they bought it.

Their new roommate showed up, "Hey! I was wondering if you guys were gonna make it."

The younger vampires stood their awkwardly in the doorway when Jesse caught up with them.

"You guys going in, or…?" Jesse asked confused.

"Go ahead." Elena said.

"Why are you guys just standing there?" Megan asked them.

"We were just… Caroline?" Elena asked her friend not knowing what to say.

"Waiting for someone." Caroline offered.

"She's late." Charlie added for the duo.

"So," Caroline muttered.

"Right. Well, I'm gonna go hang." Megan said. "Charlie, you coming?"

"Um, nah. I'll wait here with them. You go, we'll catch up." Charlie said and Megan walked away.

The three of them dropped their very unconvincing smiles.

"Like I said, she knows." Caroline said.

* * *

The three vampires were on the edge of the party outside while Elena leaves a voicemail for Megan.

"Hey, Megan, it's Elena. Just calling to let you know why we left, so call me when you get this. Bye."

"Okay, it's settled. When she leaves, we grab her." Caroline said.

"Or we could just let her know you weren't feeling well." Elena explained.

"Elena, she saw you stuck at the threshold, you might as well have flashed your fangs!" Charlie argued, getting more and more frustrated by the second.

"There's no way that out of thousands of freshmen, we were randomly paired with someone who knows about vampires." Elena said. "Besides, she saw Charlie enter the house. I think that had to have thrown her off a little bit."

Caroline added, "Maybe it wasn't random."

Elena's phone rang. "Megan's calling. Hey, Megan." She answered.

"_Elena! You have to help me! He's chasing me!" _Megan panicked.

"Megan, who's chasing you?" Elena asked her.

_"Help me! Oh, my god!" _Megan yelled.

They look up towards the house to see nothing out of the ordinary.

"We can't come inside – the line's too long." Elena said trying to figure out what was happening.

"Find out where she is. I can get inside." Charlie said to Elena.

_"Elena, please help me!" _

Caroline took the phone from Elena when Megan started screaming. "Megan, can you hear me? Where are you? We can help if you tell us where you are."

Something suddenly fell to the ground beside them, and they whirl around towards the object. That object being Megan's dead body.

"Oh, my god!" They all made their way towards her.

Charlie crouched down beside the body, noticing her neck ripped open.

"Who did this to her?" Caroline asked.

"This was a vampire" Charlie said.

* * *

Officials had shown up and were covering Megan's body while Elena, Caroline, and Charlie watched on from a short distance away.

"What is happening? Our roommate is dead, there was a vampire at the party…" Elena trailed off.

"We don't know what she knew or who she told. We should get out of here." Caroline said.

Realization crossed Elena's face. "Caroline, I left that message in her voicemail!"

"Don't worry, I took her phone." Charlie said.

"_What?_" Elena freaked.

Before Charlie could answer a policewoman approached them.

"Hey, girls? I'm Dianne Freeman, I'm head of Campus Security. Are you okay?" She asked carefully.

"I mean, I think so." Elena acted the part of scared roommate. Although she was freaked out, it was just for different reasons.

"I understand Megan was your roommate. I'm so sorry you had to find her like this." Dianne offered condolences.

"Do they know what happened?" Caroline asked her.

"We found a note. Apparently she was struggling with severe depression." The woman explained.

"Wait, what you do you mean you found a note?" Elena asked.

"Your roommate took her own life."

"You think _this _was a suicide?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"We're convinced it was a suicide, but we can't seem to find her cell phone. Have you seen it?" She asked.

"No." Charlie shook her head.

"Okay. If it turns up, let us know?" The officer asked.

The three girls nodded their heads and the office walked away.

"_What_ is going on?" Elena asked extremely confused.

* * *

The girls were making their way back to their room and Charlie listened to the voicemail from Elena on Megan's phone.

"Delete." Charlie said hitting the necessary button to actually delete the message.

They had arrived to their room, but the door was slightly open. Elena cautiously pushed the door the rest of the way. "Someone's been in here."

"Megan's tablet's gone." Caroline noticed.

"Along with her so-called suicide note." Charlie sneered.

"Can I see her phone for a second?" Elena asked Charlie who gave her the phone.

"It just doesn't make any sense. First, the roommate we're not supposed to have might know about vampires, and then happens to be killed by a vampire, and now the school's covering it up? Seriously, who is this girl?" Caroline asked.

"Whatever's going on, it's not just about our roommate. It's about me." Elena said to her friends and held up Megan's phone. "That's Megan – with my dad."

* * *

Caroline sat in her bed crying as she listened to a voicemail from Tyler saying he wasn't coming back for school.

"I'm really glad that you're here." Caroline said to her friend.

"I'm really glad you're here too." Elena said back.

They both looked towards Charlie's bed to notice it empty.

Elena asks Caroline, "Did you see her leave?"

"No I didn't. But I know something's been on her mind lately. She probably just went to get some air." Caroline reasoned.

"Yeah, you're right." Elena said back and Caroline went back to sleep.

Elena was kept awake however. She had noticed that Charlie's behavior had been different since they got here, like she was always lost in her thoughts. She narrowed it down to Stefan not being here and not calling her all summer. That's all it could be… right?

* * *

Please Review/Favorite/Follow.

"The Originals" story is in progress. I want to write the first few chapters before I post it, so be on the lookout.

Thanks! :)


	2. True Lies

**True Lies**

* * *

**_(WHITMORE CAMPUS)_**

"Megan's memorial outside is growing by the minute." Elena said walking into the dorm room. Caroline was rifling through a box while Charlie was playing a game on her phone.

"Ugh, college kids are _so _dramatic. She was on campus for, like, one day. She couldn't have made _that _many friends." Caroline complained.

"Caroline, she's dead. You can stop competing with her." Elena told her.

"Sorry, I'm in a mood."

"You talked to Tyler?" Charlie spoke up.

"He's deferring from enrolling and deferring from returning my phone calls, so I'm deferring from having sex with him ever again." Caroline explained.

"Harsh, but effective." Charlie commented.

"How's the snooping going? Any explanation why our vervain-laced, vampire-slaughtered roommate had a picture of my dad on her phone?" Elena asked checking to make sure no one was listening.

"No."

Elena handed a folder to Caroline after remembering it. "Oh um, I went by the hospital this morning – Megan's death certificate. It says she died of suicide. No mention of the gaping vampire-bites on her neck. So, whoever signed off on the cause of death was part of the cover-up – just like the Founder's Council back home."

"You think they have a council of their own?" Charlie said putting down her phone and joining the girls. "I mean, it takes more than one person to cover up a death-by-vampire." The words 'council' and 'Whitmore' were not settling well with her.

"Dr. Wesley Maxfield." Caroline said reading the file. "If there is a council, then he's on it."

"He's also our Applied Microbiology professor. I switched our classes around, so that we could –" Elena was interrupted by Caroline.

"Applied – what, what? Uh, Elena we are supposed to be taking Intro. to Communication."

"Yeah, what happened to getting drunk and making bad decisions about boys? What happened to our fun freshman year at college?" Charlie asked her.

"I am supposed to be a drama major!" Caroline exclaimed.

"You're not going to be an anything major if we get exposed as _vampires!_" Elena snapped.

They all froze for a second realizing their conversation was growing in volume.

Elena smiled at the two. "We are still gonna have our fun year, guys, but we have to protect ourselves. The way Damon kept his secret in Mystic Falls was because he infiltrated the Founder's Council. So, bust out those alleged acting skills, and let's get on it okay?" Elena asked.

"I'm not a Drama major." Charlie mentioned.

"Okay then, use your skills of deception you've perfected over the last 100 years." Elena sassed.

"I'm good with that." Charlie said and they all smiled at each other.

* * *

**_(THE QUARRY)_**

Damon and Liz were standing at the quarry, where Damon thought he would be able to find Stefan when he got a call from his sister.

"Hey Mini D." He answered.

"Mini D?" She questioned.

"Yeah, for Mini-Damon. Come on, you may be Stefan's twin, but we all know you act more like me."

Charlie was quiet for a second. "Have you heard from him? From Stefan?"

"No, I haven't." Damon lied to her. He hated doing it, but he didn't want her to freak out. She was supposed to be having fun. He was going to find Stefan and kill Silas, then everything would be back to normal. Damon deterred the conversation from Stefan, "What are you up to?"

"I'm about to go to my Applied Microbiology class." Charlie told her brother.

"What?"

"Don't ask. I was just calling to see how you were, and, ya know, if you had heard from him. Obviously you haven't soo, yeah" Charlie trailed off.

"Don't worry sis. It'll be okay. Now head to class. Remember what I told you about getting an education."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Talk to you later. Stay out of trouble." Charlie told him.

"You too." He said and hung up. He was going to have to find Stefan. Fast.

* * *

**_(DR. MAXFIELD'S CLASS)_**

The three girls made their way into the lecture hall and they passed Jesse on the way to their seats.

"Hey, Blow-Off Girl. Aren't you a freshman? How are you in this class?" He asked Caroline.

"What? I love… Applied Microbiology." She stuttered. "It's like, my favorite biology. You know, little things are just so… cute."

"Are you going to the bonfire tonight? Or are you just gonna get really close and then turn around and leave again?" He asked sarcastically.

"She'll be there." Elena answered for her.

"Sweet. We'll hang." He said.

Elena gave him a thumbs up and Caroline pushed her, following Charlie to their seats. When they sat down Caroline gave Elena a look.

"What? Charlie mentioned making bad decisions about boys, which you agreed with. He's cute, he's interested, and most importantly, unlike Tyler, he's _here_" Elena told her.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her while Charlie snickered in the background when Dr. Maxfield walked into the room.

"Morning, everyone. I'm Dr. Maxfield. First name is Wes, but call me 'Dr. Maxfield.' One day, when you're out of med school, you'll understand. So, you're all going to this bonfire tonight, right? Well here's a quick history lesson for you. Whitmore was founded as a hospital during the Civil War. Deadliest war in American history – over 600,000 casualties. Disease was so prevalent, that once a week they had to gather all the dead, rotting bodies, put them in a pile, and light the whole thing on fire. So tonight, when you're getting drunk and partying, stop for a second, close your eyes, and imagine the rancid smell of a hundred rotting corpses." He introduced.

"Creep-y." Caroline muttered.

"Which brings us to microbiology-" Dr. Maxfield continued.

"But hott-ie." Elena added.

"-because that rancid smell comes from a very specific bacteria. Isn't that right, chatty girls in the back?" Dr. Maxfield asked them.

The two smiling girls turned to Dr. Maxfield their smiles fading.

"And what is that bacteria?" He asked them.

Elena stuttered, "Uh, that's the, um…"

Charlie spoke up. "Bacterial decarboxylation of ornithine and lysine."

Caroline, Elena, and even Dr. Maxfield were staring at her, shocked that she knew the answer.

"How did you know that? You're a freshman." Dr. Maxfield asked.

Charlie shrugged, "I'm a bio nerd."

"I have to say I am impressed…?" He trailed off not knowing her name.

"Charlie." She answered for him.

"Why don't you stay, we can find out what else you know. But you two," He pointed to Elena and Caroline, "you can learn things like this in Bio 101, _down the hall_." Then he pointed to the door.

The two girls stood up and made their way to the door still slightly stunned at what just happened. They looked back at Charlie who wiggled her fingers, waving and smiled at them.

* * *

Later, Elena and Charlie were walking around campus while Elena was on the phone with Damon.

"It was mortifying, but amazing at the same time. I mean, I was so embarrassed, but the way Charlie just stepped in and showed up the teacher, it was awesome."

"Well, what do you know, my sister a geek? Why did you step up to the plate?" Damon asked knowing Charlie could hear.

"Someone had to stay in the class to keep an eye on him. And it obviously wasn't going to be the 'two chatty-girls." Charlie quoted Dr. Maxfield.

"I still don't like the way he called us out." Elena said.

"You want me to beat him up?" Damon asked.

"Not yet, we need to find out what he knows."

"Did you compel him?"

"Damon, if he knows about vampires, he's gonna know about vervain." Charlie mentioned.

"How about violence? Did you threaten him?" He asked Elena.

"No, I didn't threaten him."

"Would you at least tell me you used torture?"

"Damon!" Elena exclaimed while Charlie just laughed.

"You do realize that you are dating a reformed serial killer, right?"

Elena laughed but Charlie froze. "What would a hero do?"

"Pfft, _that,_ I have no idea."

"Stefan?" Elena muttered seeing 'Stefan.'

"I don't know. Probably mope at him." Damon said thinking she was still talking to him.

"Stefan's here, right now." Elena told him.

"What?"

"Turn off your phone." 'Stefan' said to Elena. Charlie looked at him weird when Elena actually did hang up on Damon.

Charlie threw herself at 'Stefan' hugging her brother that's been missing all summer.

'Stefan' laughed and hugged her back. "I know you're upset that I didn't call, so I just wanted to apologize in person."

When they pulled away from each other, Charlie slapped 'Stefan,' surprising both him and Elena.

"I understand that you needed time for yourself, I get it. But you didn't call me for three months. How the hell was I supposed to know you were even alive?! I'm your sister! The least you could do was call me. So it's going to take a lot more than a crappy apology for me to forgive three months of worry." Charlie ranted to him and walked away.

'Stefan,' who was actually Silas, was so surprised by the outburst he didn't even use his mind control to stop her.

Elena just watched her friend walk away, knowing how affected she was by Stefan's disappearance, but now that Stefan was back, maybe her 'trances' where she stared off into space would stop.

* * *

**_(THE GIRL'S DORM ROOM)_**

Caroline was standing in her towel getting ready when she heard the door open. She turned around think it was Elena or Charlie but was surprised to see Damon.

"Damon! Towel, knock!" She scolded him.

"Caroline. No one cares, no. Hey, where are Charlie and Elena?" He asked not caring that Caroline was in a towel.

"I don't know. They probably went to the bonfire to get more intel on our weirdo professor." She guessed. It was a sound thought on Caroline's part, until Charlie walked into the room looking pissed off.

"Hey, what's going on?" Caroline asked her.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked.

"Did you know that our brother is here? Just out of the blue! He just shows up, expecting everything to be okay after he disappears for three months!" Charlie ranted.

"That's because it's not him. That's Silas. He's pretending to be Stefan and I'm assuming he's still with Elena. We need to find her." Damon told them quickly.

"I thought that Stefan dropped him in the quarry…" Caroline said.

"Join the club. Get dressed." Damon told her.

Charlie looked distressed and worried. "So he's not back… Oh, my god. Elena and I were right. All summer I've just had this feeling that something was wrong with Stefan."

"What?" Damon asked her.

"I don't know about Elena, but I've just had this… feeling that he's in trouble or danger. Maybe it's a twin thing I don't know, but something's wrong."

Damon threw some clothes at Caroline. "Get dressed. Meet us out there. We need to find Elena."

* * *

Damon and Charlie were walking around campus looking for Elena when they ran across Silas.

"Hello, brother. But I suppose distant nephew is probably more accurate. And distant niece, I've gotta say you sure know how to slap someone." Silas said.

Damon grabbed Silas by the neck, ignoring the slapping remark.

"Where the hell's Elena?" He snapped.

Silas mind-controlled him. "There's no need for violence Damon. You'll find her eventually."

He pulled Damon's hand from his neck, although you could see his was trying to fight it.

"There you go. Look, I get why like her. I mean, I have a soft spot for brunettes, too. What I don't get is why she likes _you._" Silas told him.

"That's 'cause you haven't had sex with me." Damon said.

"Woah! Sister here." Charlie complained but they ignored her.

"Hm, cockiness masking fear. How transparent." Silas smirked.

"You expect me to believe you came all this way just to talk to her?" Damon asked.

"No, that doesn't really make much sense, does it? But if I told you exactly what I did, then it would ruin the fun. Enjoy the bonfire, ladies." Silas said and walked away.

* * *

Caroline had caught up with them later in the night after the party was well underway.

"Why would Silas want to hurt her?" Caroline asked.

"Because he wants to hurt me." Damon answered.

"You know, if you just would've told the truth, all of this could've been avoided." Charlie said.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you okay. But you were already under enough stress with being here and not having talked to Stefan. I didn't want to add onto that." Damon defended.

Charlie was about to answer when Damon bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going, douche." The guy snapped at him.

"Have you seen Elena Gilbert?" Damon asked.

"I have no idea who that is, and if I _were _her, I'd probably run from you, too."

"Wrong answer." Damon gripped the guy's throat but Caroline stepped in before Damon could hurt him, much to Charlie's dislike.

"Forget all this and get out of here." Caroline compelled him. After the guy walked away she turned to Damon. "You _have _to calm down."

"He turned the entire town square into a hunting party for Katherine. How am I supposed to calm down when every single person here could be working for Silas?" Damon protested.

* * *

The rescue squad finally found Elena with Jesse getting fire wood in the shed. Damon however, decided to take matters into his own hands and instead of walking in calmly, he zoomed in and hit Jesse over the head.

"Damon? What the hell?" Elena asked surprised.

Caroline was frustrated. "Seriously? That's Jesse. I kind of liked him."

* * *

Charlie was standing around a pit of fire wait for Caroline. She and Jesse were having a moment and she decided to give them some privacy.

She was staring into the fire when she noticed a presence beside her. "Dr. Maxfield?"

"We're not in the classroom. Call me Wes. I just saw you over here alone and thought I'd say hello." Wes greeted Charlie next to the fire.

"You're a teacher. Aren't you supposed to be trying to break up the party and thinking of other ways to embarrass new students?" Charlie asked him sarcastically.

Wes laughed at her. "I may be a teacher, but I'm still young. I can party every now and then. And sorry about your friends, but I had to be a hard-ass. It's kind of what I'm known for." Wes defended.

"Oh no don't worry about it, I loved it." Charlie said.

"Really?" Wes asked surprised that she was okay with him embarrassing her friends.

"Hell yeah. They are my friends and I love them to death, but sarcastic comments make my day. That's kind of what _I'm _known for." Charlie explained to him. "I'll give credit where credit is due though."

"Well thank you. I'm glad I could make your day. I have to say though I was really surprised when you answered my question correctly. I was kind of expecting to have to send out three freshman airheads, but you were surprisingly intelligent." Wes explained.

"I take offense to that." Charlie joked.

"How did you know that by the way? I mean I've never ran across a freshman who knew _any _of the questions you answered today. I know you said you're a bio nerd but…" Wes said not really knowing how to finish the question.

"I was kind of a loner a few years ago." Charlie said trying to skirt around the question. It's not like she could tell him she was a vampire who had years to learn this stuff.

"Really? Do you mind if I ask why?" Wes said trying to get some information out of her. Every question he asked her in his class today she answered correctly. It was the first time in his teaching experience that he was left speechless. He usually caught students off guard with the difficult questions he asked but she bested him every time.

"It was a time in my life where I felt the whole world was against me. I felt alone, like I couldn't even go to my brothers for help. But instead of turning to drugs or alcohol like most teenagers would, I turned to science. I know… dorky right?" Charlie said coming up with a lie quick. Although some of it was true. There were several points in her life where she felt the world was against her, especially her brother's, but she definitely didn't turn to science to solve it. In most cases she did turn to alcohol, (it's not like it would kill her.) Well, alcohol and blood.

Wes laughed with her. "No it's not dorky at all. I'm glad you turned to science. The world deserves a mind like yours." He said kindly.

Charlie was about to thank him when Caroline showed up. "Hey." She said shortly realizing who she was talking to. This guy embarrassed her. He didn't deserve a second of her time.

"This is the point where we leave to avoid awkwardness." Charlie said to Wes. "See you in class."

"Enjoy the party." Wes said and watched Caroline and Charlie walk away.

"What was that about?" Caroline asked Charlie.

"Who knows? He just started talking to me and asking me questions. I'm trying to get him to trust me. We need someone trying to figure out if he's involved with vampire business. It's not like you and Elena are going to be able to. Plus he's not bad to look at." Charlie said sassily.

Caroline just laughed at her as she and Charlie made their way back to the dorm room.

"You know, ever since I've known you I've never seen you with anyone." Caroline stated trying to think back on a time when Charlie had a boyfriend and couldn't think of one. "Even when Elijah showed his interest, you turned him down. I mean it's not like your ugly, hell you don't even notice the way guys look at you. So how come you don't have a boyfriend?"

"I turned down Elijah because it wasn't the right time. With everything going on in our lives I didn't feel like it was the right time to start a new relationship, plus I only saw him as a friend. Maybe when things settle down around here I'll start looking." Charlie said, really not having any intention to 'look' anytime soon.

"Have you ever been in love?" Caroline asked realizing that they've never really talked about Charlie's past relationships.

"Story for another day." Charlie smiled at Caroline.

By now they had made it back to the dorm room and walked in on a… surprising scene. Elena was in a chair with a fire poker through her leg and Damon was shirtless and tied to a chair.

"Ew." Charlie muttered.

"I think we need to set some ground rules for when boyfriends come to visit." Caroline informed the couple.

* * *

Wes made his way to Charlie who was also packing bags into the back of a car like Elena. He figured if Elena knew he forged death certificates then Charlie did too. He wanted to know what made Charlie so different. In a good way. She had a level of intelligence that he hadn't come across in a long time. The society could use a mind like hers. He also wanted to keep an eye on Elena, being Grayson Gilbert's daughter she had to know _something_.

"You're leaving too?" He asked approaching her and she turned around from packing bags into the trunk of her car. "And here I thought I would have to come up with tougher questions in class."

Charlie laughed. "Yeah. Problems at home that need my attention. Don't worry though, I'll be back to show you up in class."

Wes laughed too. "I look forward to it. So based on the fact that Elena is leaving too, I'm guessing that you guys are more than just roommates." He deduced.

Charlie nodded. "She's dating my older brother. We also went to the same high school. Didn't become friends until she started dating my other brother…" Charlie trailed off realizing she was rambling, trying to seem like the nervous freshman. "Yeah, we're friends."

Wes smiled kindly at her. Since the two were so close there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she also knew he was forging death certificates. "I figured. Listen, I hope this doesn't sound to forward or weird, but I'd like to talk to you about a couple of things." He said hoping she would take the hint. She proved how intelligent she was when she picked up on it straight away.

"If you're talking about if I know you're forging death certificates then yes, I do. I'd actually like to talk to you too, but there are some things I need to handle first. Rain check?" She asked him. She needed to figure out just how much she knew and if he was a danger to her and her friends.

"Absolutely. Uh, here," He said handing her his card with his office and cell number on it. "Whenever you get the chance, call me and we'll talk."

"Thanks." She said taking the card.

"Well I hope everything turns out okay for you at home. Hurry back. It's nice to have a student who actually understands what I'm talking about." Wes said.

"Thanks. I'll try." She said and watched Wes walk away. She couldn't deny that he was incredibly attractive. He was young too, for a teacher. But he wasn't her type. Her type was the opposite of his blonde hair and blue eyes: dark hair, dark eyes and a bad side. But if a little bit of flirting could get her the information she needed then who could it hurt?

"When did you and professor creepy get so close?" Damon asked as he made his way over to her car. Elena was staying by Damon's car giving the siblings a chance to talk.

"We talked last night at the bon fire. I need to figure out what he knows but I just can't focus on anything other than Stefan right now. Caroline will be able to manage things." Charlie explained to him.

"We're gonna find him Charlie. I promise." Damon said. His phone rang drawing Elena's attention over to the two and Charlie waved her over.

"Yeah." Damon answered the phone.

"We found something." Liz Forbes answered.

* * *

Liz, Damon, Elena, and Charlie approach the safe that Stefan was locked in.

"We didn't find anything in the quarry, but a deputy found this a few miles away. Didn't open it. If Stefan's been in there for three months… chances are, he's hungry." Liz explained.

Charlie opened the door of the safe only to see a bloody corpse inside.

"Oh, my god. That's not Stefan." Elena muttered turning away and covering her nose.

"Well, you were right. He was hungry. I bet he still is." Damon said.

* * *

**Please Review/Follow/Favorite. **

**Thanks so much for reading! **

**P.S. - That part about the bacteria, I have no idea if that's the right answer. It was the best I could find online and hey, it sounds smart right? Haha :)**


	3. Original Sin

**Original Sin **

"It was just so vivid. I saw Stefan walking out of this bar. It had a red awning and this broken neon sign, and he was screaming in pain." Elena explained her dream that woke her up to Damon.

"Well, should I go check in the attic, see if there's a crystal ball? Maybe you can conjure up an address." Damon made fun.

"Route 29. Joe's bar." They heard Katherine from the bedroom door. "I think I had the exact same dream."

* * *

"So I've found 9 bars along Route 29, and none of them are called "Joe's." Damon said joining Elena and Charlie downstairs.

"I had a feeling that there was something wrong _all _summer, and I ignored it. But I was right. I know it sounds crazy, that I'm following some psychic dream, but it's the only lead that we have." Elena said.

"It doesn't sound crazy – it _is_ crazy. But I'm open-minded." Damon told her.

"I don't care if it's crazy. We are going to search every freaking bar in the state if we have to but we will find Stefan." Charlie snapped. "I should've known something was wrong. He never just disappears without calling me. I can't believe I just wrote it off as him needing space." Charlie muttered angry at herself.

"Hey." Damon said putting his hands on his sister's shoulders to get her attention. "This is not your fault okay? It's Silas. I am going to find Stefan if it's the last thing I do. I promise you."

"Shotgun." Katherine called from the doorway getting their attention. "What? I get carsick in the back seat. Another charming, human side effect you stuck me with."

"Please tell me that she's not coming?" Charlie asked.

"Trust me, I have _no _interest in Katherine's well-being, but for some reason Silas wants her real bad, and if Silas wants her, I want her more." Damon explained.

"Can't we just stash her in the cellar? Or maybe a deep, dark well with a pair of water wings?" Elena offered.

"Do you really think that I wanna take a road trip with you, America's most boring, self-righteous vampire? Just remember, Damon wouldn't have to play bodyguard if you hadn't shoved that cure down my throat." Katherine complained.

"You were trying to kill me!" Elena exclaimed.

"I will admit, though, I take great pleasure knowing that you wasted your one shot at a human life on me." Katherine shot at her.

"All right, play nice, or I'm gonna revisit that deep dark well idea." Damon interrupted seeing Charlie's further growing frustration.

"I wanna find Stefan just as much as you do, and not just because I don't wanna be a pawn that you can trade off for his life. I care about him – I always have. But since you're having the same dream, it makes me think you care about him as much as I do." Katherine said trying to get under her skin.

"Okay, train's leaving the station." Damon said.

"Choo-choo!" Charlie said walking out the door.

* * *

The four were in the car with Damon driving, Elena in the passenger seat, and Katherine and Charlie in the back. As much distance between the two doppelgängers the better.

"You sure you know what you're looking for? Last bar had a read awning and a neon sign." Damon asked Elena. Charlie was in the back seat staring out the window lost in thought and he didn't want to disturb her right now.

"I'll know it when I see it." Elena said.

"Me, too." Katherine said sticking her head between the seats.

"Didn't ask you." Damon told her.

"I'm just trying to make conversation. Anything to drown out the sound of eggshells breaking. So Elena, I couldn't help but overhear. You've been dreaming about Stefan all summer? That must be really stressful on a new relationship, especially when you're having those kinds of dreams lying in bed next to his brother." Katherine poked at the couple.

"Shut- up Katherine." Charlie muttered showing Damon she was paying more attention than he thought.

"They weren't dreams." Elena defended. "It was just a bad feeling, like something wasn't right with him."

"Oh, no, yeah, sure. I totally get it. There's still a connection between you two. Maybe deep down you know that he was your one true love and breaking up with him was a big mistake." Katherine kept egging her on.

"Ignore her. As soon as the vervain's out of her system, we'll compel her and we'll put her on mute." Damon said.

"Or maybe Stefan's been trying to reach out to you all summer, but you've been too distracted with Damon to help him so he reached out to the people he does trust – me." Katherine said ignoring the fact that he would trust Charlie over her and knowing it wouldn't do any good, Charlie didn't object. Elena sent a long look to Damon but said nothing. "Nah. You're probably right. We had the exact same dream on the exact same night. Why would that mean something?"

"Maybe he was just reaching out to Elena and some wires got crossed." Charlie suggested.

"You know all this talk about love has me thinking… where's yours Charlie? Surely there was someone along the way who stole your heart? Who you would do anything for? So where is he?" Katherine asked her.

A look of pain crossed her face as she stared out the window, but Damon noticed it from the rear-view mirror. "He's where we all want to be, far away from you. Now watch for the bar and quit being a nuisance." Charlie said trying not to show the weakness in her voice.

* * *

Charlie was watching Katherine when she woke up and they both walked towards the bar, Charlie was following Katherine and Katherine didn't see the vampire who snapped Charlie's neck. So there she was, missing all the action with Nadia trying to take Katherine when Damon walked out to continue his search for Stefan.

"Charlie, come on sis, wake up." He said trying to get his sister to come to.

"Damon? What happened?" Charlie asked rubbing her neck.

"Some girl Nadia showed up and tried to take Katherine. I'd only assume she's the one who broke your neck 'cause I _know _Katherine couldn't get the jump on you while human. So now Katherine and Elena are off to safety and we are continuing the search for our brother." Damon explained helping her up.

"Ugh, bitch." Charlie muttered and Damon laughed.

* * *

The two siblings ended up at a cabin in the woods where they found Stefan bound to a chair.

"Stefan." Charlie muttered walking towards her twin.

"Charlie." Stefan said back happy to see her.

"You couldn't call a brother?" Damon asked him.

"Nice to see you, too, Damon." Stefan said back.

"What the hell is going on here?" Charlie said looking around Stefan's restraints trying to figure out the best place to start.

"Well, Silas' ex-girlfriend decided to come back from the Other Side." Stefan explained.

"Qetsi-whatever?" Damon asked him starting to attempt to untie the restraints.

"It's Qetsiyah." The witch muttered behind them slightly startling the siblings. She looked at Stefan. "Do you see why I want to change it? You won't be able to break those vines. The spell won't release him until I get what I want." Qetsiyah, or Tessa, explained.

"Well, I guess the rumors are true. You are a ray of sunshine." Damon said.

"Question," Charlie spoke up, "Why is my brother wearing your compost pile?"

"I'm going to link Stefan to Silas. Casting a spell on his doppelgänger will neutralize Silas' mental powers. Once he's weakened, I will force him to take the cure." Tessa told them.

"Well, that's a great idea, force the cure down his throat. The cure is gone, done, it's ingested." Damon told the witch.

"Katherine you mean?" She asked. "I'm aware of her condition. She was supposed to be with you."

"Wait, Katherine took the cure?" Stefan spoke up.

"We have a lot to catch up on, Stefan. Wait a minute, what do you mean supposed to be with me? Did you plant those dreams? What is it, some kind of like, witch party trick?" Damon asked.

"So where is she?" Tessa pushed.

"We ran into a little snag."

"Then I'll get started without her." Tessa said and started chanting over a bowl.

"Okay, well, thanks for the hospitality, but we should really get going if we want to beat traffic." Damon said.

"Yep, yep. He's right." Stefan agreed.

"Probably don't want to get on my bad side." Tessa said.

"You realize you're not the only one with a bad side, right?" Charlie commented.

"Aren't you brave? Without Silas' mental powers, he is an immortal nobody. We can defeat him. Isn't that what you want?" Tessa asked.

"Just do it, alright? Just get it over with. Do it." Stefan said.

Tessa dipped in fingers in a bowl of molten metal then put them against Stefan's temples. Stefan gasped as she started chanting. The circle of herbs that surrounded Stefan and Tessa had ignited into flames.

"What are you doing to my brother?" Charlie asked worried.

"I'm frying Silas' brain. No one said it would be pretty." Tessa answered.

Stefan's eyes began to bleed and his head rolled to the side losing consciousness.

"Alright, we're done here." Damon said.

"You're right. We're done. It worked." Tessa said.

Charlie grabbed Stefan's head in her hands trying to wake him up. "Stefan. Stefan! Damn it come on, wake up."

"Whatever you did to him, undo it." Damon said.

"Relax. I just burned through his conscious mind. He'll wake eventually. You sure you want to take him home? You and Elena were doing so well without your guilt getting in the way." Tessa teased.

Damon turned to look at her while Charlie started on untying the vines, ignoring the conversation.

"Spying on us from the Other Side?" Damon accused.

"Don't flatter yourself. It was like watching a soap opera, except boring and with no volume control. You know, there was one thing worse than being on the Other Side and watching Silas resist the cure." Tessa commented.

"Oh yeah? What was that, realizing that your plan totally sucked?" Damon asked.

Charlie suddenly dropped, unconscious, from where she was next to Stefan.

"What the hell?!" Damon asked her angrily running over to Charlie.

"Don't worry, she'll just be out for a few hours. I wanted to talk privately. You need to hear this." Tessa said.

"Hear what?" Damon said turning to face her again.

"Century after century, I watched versions of Stefan and Elena find each other, like magnets, always the same story – conquering all, falling in love. You didn't think you brother was Silas' first shadow? Destiny has been trying to get the doppelgängers together forever." Tessa explained.

"Look here, Miss Crazy, why don't we just dial down the destiny talk a notch, okay?" Damon asked.

You don't want to hear it, but the universe is working against you."

"If you're trying to downplay your reputation as being a psychopath, you might not want to say you're spokesperson for the universe." Damon sassed.

"You and I are the same, Damon… the obstacle standing between two fates. Silas had his true love, Stefan has Elena. We're merely the conflict that makes it interesting."

"So, what are you suggesting? I leave him here with you while I run off and live happily ever after with Elena?" Damon asked the crazy lady.

"I'd keep him safe." She defended.

"You have a bad track record with men."

"I want to keep him safe. Now that he's linked to Silas, Silas can't mess with our heads, and as long as Stefan's in the way, you will _never _be with Elena. Take it from a woman who's had front row seats for 2,000 years." Tessa suggested.

"No one would have to know?" Damon asked.

"No one has to know." She agreed.

Damon paused to think about it.

"Or you could just go back to hell." Damon said and wrapped his hand around her throat. She started chanting making Damon release her and grab his head in pain as he falls to the floor.

Damon wakes up to hear Elena calling out Stefan's name.

"Stefan!" She called walking through the door. "Stefan! Hey! Oh, no. Stefan, hey. Stefan, can you hear me? Stefan! Wake up. Oh, god." She freaked out.

All the while Charlie was unconscious on the floor and Damon was left to think about what Qetsiyah said.

* * *

Stefan was lying unconscious on one couch with Charlie on the other. Damon was starting to worry about Charlie especially. He didn't know what that witch did to her.

Damon had told Elena about what Qetsiyah had told him about the universe working against them. Elena was about to kiss Damon when Stefan woke up.

He stood up and Damon said. "Welcome back, brother."

"Stefan… we missed you." Elena said awkwardly.

"Uh, I'm sorry… I – I have no idea who you people are." Stefan said confused.

Charlie suddenly gasped and sat up from the couch and Damon raced over to her.

"Charlie, hey, Charlie. It's okay. You're safe, it's okay." Damon said trying to comfort his little sister who was shaking.

"Damon, I…" Charlie trailed off. Tears started to fall from her eyes, and by the looks of things they weren't stopping anytime soon.

"Charlie, what? What is it?" Damon said not understanding what had his sister in this state.

"I saw _him_." Charlie said and started sobbing. Damon instantly understood what she was talking about and his heart broke for his sister. And the worst part was, there was nothing he could do for her.

Stefan watched on confused as to where he was and who these people were. But Elena was stuck thinking about what was going on and who the '_him_' was that had Charlie so upset.

* * *

**Kind of short, I know. Only a few more chapters until Enzo makes an appearance! :) Please review! I want to know what you guys think. :)**


	4. For Whom the Bell Tolls

** SURPRISE! Two chapters in one day! I just love writing this story so much and your guys' comments have seriously made my day. **

**I was wrong. This is the last chapter before Enzo! I'm seriously thinking about posting that chapter for you guys. What do you think? :)**

* * *

**For Whom the Bell Tolls **

Elena and Charlie were at the Boarding House. Elena was on the phone with Caroline and Charlie was just listening in.

Ever since her breakdown yesterday, she'd been really quiet. Elena wanted to be there with her friend but she didn't know how. She didn't even know what had Charlie so upset and she didn't know how or if she should even bring it up.

"Please tell me I wasn't out of my mind leaving Damon in charge of Vampire Amnesia 101?" Elena asked Caroline who was still at Whitmore.

_"What did he say exactly?" _Caroline asked.

"One text – '_So far, so good._' Which in Damon speak…"

_"Means that they probably devoured a troop of Girl Scouts by now." _Caroline suggested.

"Caroline!" Elena scolded.

_"I'm kidding… kind of. Although it's not uncommon for patients with retrograde amnesia or other traumatic brain injuries to turn volatile."_ Caroline said.

"Okay, Dr. Forbes. Since when do you know so much about amnesia?" Elena asked.

_"It's possible I studied up on my chem, biochem, applied microbio, molecular bio, and _Grey's Anatomy_ – the real one and the television show." _Caroline told her.

"You did all that for Stefan?" Elena asked surprised.

_"Of course I did. I'm also trying to impress Dr. Maxfield. I figured without Charlie here we need someone to be in his class and see what else we can find. Although it's not really working. Charlie's probably going to be able to find more than I can, but I don't think she's coming back to school for a while so I need to see what's up with him."_ Caroline said.

"Yeah…" Elena trailed off.

_"How is she?"_ Caroline asked, concerned for her friend. Elena had told her what had happened yesterday.

Elena looked over towards Charlie and noticed she wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. "She's been really quiet. I don't know what to do for her. I don't want to bring it up though. Damon couldn't do anything either. He only sat there holding her saying how sorry he was and that it was gonna be okay."

_"Well we need to have a girl's day soon. Party it up." _Caroline said walking into the classroom. _"Hi, Dr. Maxfield. Are you ready Jesse?" _

"Jesse? Dr. Maxfield's incredibly hot, funny, and miraculously single lab assistant?" Elena said suggestively.

_"I'm dragging him to our hometown graveyard bell-ringing ceremony." _

"As in creepy first date?"

_"As in a study date."_ Caroline defended. _"While I'm there, I might as well ring a bell for Tyler and me considering our relationship is on its death bed."_

_"See you Monday, Doc."_ Elena could here Jesse in the background.

_"Stay out of trouble."_ Dr. Maxfield told him.

_"Will I see you there?"_ Caroline asked Elena. _"You could bring Stefan. I mean, it is ironically called 'Remembrance Day.'"_

"I hope so, I really do. It just depends on how Stefan's handling the whole download of his dark and stormy past."

_"Alright. Well, I'll talk to you later."_ Caroline said and hung up.

* * *

A bell rung at the grill gathering everyone's attention. "To Uncle Steve!"

"To Uncle Steve!" Everyone said in unison and drank a shot, including Stefan and Damon.

"Yeah!" Damon said after his shot.

"Wow. Ahh. This town always so upbeat about dead people?" Stefan asked his brother. This town has some weird traditions.

"Well, in the theme of morbid town tradition, you go back to the 1820's when everyone was so paranoid about the cholera thing that they would occasionally bury a body a wee bit before its time." Damon argued.

"So, we have a holiday dedicated to burying people alive?" Stefan asked.

"Well, they were so paranoid that they would actually request to be buried with a string attached to a bell above the ground, and then the whole family would hang around the grave for 24 hours in hopes of hearing the bell and that their loved one would come back, but now it's just really – it's really a kick-ass excuse to get hammered." Damon defended.

* * *

Charlie and Elena made their way to the grill and caught up with Damon and Stefan. All Charlie wanted to do was drink herself unconscious. On top of everything she was feeling, her twin brother also didn't remember her. Talk about, 'kick a person while their down.'

"And there I thought catching up on nearly two centuries would be a drag." Elena said and Charlie sat down at the table.

"Hello Charlie." Stefan said. Damon had filled him in on the fact he had a twin sister. He may not remember her, but he felt a sibling bond between the two that was stronger than what he had with Damon. He could also see she was hurting, and that in turn hurt him.

"Hey, Stef." Charlie said to him with a smile that everyone could see was fake. She was usually so good at hiding her emotions, but some things run so deep you can't hide it.

"Remind me of your name again." Stefan said turning to Elena.

A look of hurt crossed Elena's face and she answered him, "Elena."

"Elena. Right."

Elena looked at Damon. "You haven't told him about me?"

"200 years is a long time." Damon defended.

The bell rang and Damon drank.

"Right. Well…" Elena muttered and took a shot for herself.

Damon went and grabbed the bell. "To those we've lost." He said and handed the bell to Charlie.

She and Damon shared a sad smile. She rang the bell and they all took shots.

* * *

Damon, Stefan, Charlie, and Elena made their way to the cemetery after they caught Stefan trying to drain the waitress at the grill.

"What kind of name is 'Honoria Fell?'" Stefan asked looking at the tombstone.

"Shh. You're kind of the one that killed her." Charlie told him.

"Oh." He muttered.

They all entered the Salvatore mausoleum and Damon spoke up. "Hindsight being 20/20, way too much temptation at the bar, so if this Ripper gene is biological, then we need to minimize human contact until we get your brain all witchy-wooed back to normal, so here it is."

"So, this is the family crypt, huh?" Stefan asked looking around. "Anybody in here I didn't kill?"

Damon rang the bell after mentioning each name. "Well, we've covered our father, who art in hell. *ding* Uncle Zach, my bad. *ding* On the bright side, our mother died of consumption. *ding*"

"Oh good." Stefan muttered.

"I didn't kill anyone in here." Charlie mentioned. "Although my track record is another story." She said to Stefan.

Damon smiled at his sister glad to see she was managing well and returning to her old self. He looked at his phone to see a message from Jeremy. "I got to go see a man about a witch. Party on without me. Brother – for you." He said setting down a bottle of liquor. "And this is for you." He handed the bell to Elena. "Sis, you gonna stay or…"

"Nah, I'm gonna go to grill. See how much Scotch I can consume before the days over with. Later Stef, Elena." Charlie said leaving the mausoleum. He totally understood.

* * *

"What you doing there brother?" Damon asked seeing Stefan throwing his journals into the fire. So much had happened in the last few hours he just wanted to get this day over with. But there was still the matter about Bonnie…

"Well, you know, just tying up a few odds and ends." Stefan said.

"You sure you want to do that?" Damon asked.

"Well, I know what I don't want. I don't want to be the person in these journals anymore. I don't want to live in this house. I don't want my brother's advice. I don't want to hear how I supported you, Elena, and I definitely do not want to continue this conversation." Stefan said.

"Stefan wait." Elena protested.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna go on a Ripper binge. Besides, Caroline said she'd call me every hour to make sure I was okay and uh… I trust her way more than you two." Stefan said grabbing his bag and heading towards the door.

"So you're leaving again?" They heard Charlie say coming down the hallway.

"Charlie…" Stefan said turning towards his twin who had tears welling up in her eyes. It's not like he wanted to leave her, he just wanted to get away from Damon and Elena. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave one without the other, and he needed to figure himself out now.

"Are you leaving?" Charlie demanded.

"Yes." Stefan said guiltily and put his head down.

Charlie surprised all of them by saying, "Good."

"What?" Stefan looked up wide-eyed.

"You need to leave. You need to figure out who you are now. And you need to be away from here." She said. Stefan knew that by 'here' she meant Damon and Elena. As much as it hurt her to let her twin go, she knew this was the best for him. "Of everyone in this room, you deserve to be happy. Just… promise to call me. I can't go another three months without hearing from you."

"I promise." Stefan said and hugged his sister. He may not remember her, but he knew she meant a lot to him, and he to her.

After Stefan had left, Damon told them news that had everyone falling apart.

Bonnie was dead.

* * *

The group had gathered in the woods towards Jeremy where they were having a memorial for Bonnie. Just as they were about to circle around Charlie pulled Damon back.

"I can't." She told Damon with tears streaming down her face. "I can't let go of someone else. I'm sorry."

"I understand. Go home. I'll meet you there later." Damon said and hugged his sister understanding why she needed to leave.

"Set this by her picture for me." Charlie said pulling out a picture of her, Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline from a sleepover they had a while back.

"I will." Damon said.

Charlie sent one last painful look toward Bonnie's picture and took off at vampire speed.

None of them could see Bonnie smiling sadly at her friend, wishing she could tell her that she understood. That everything would be okay.

* * *

"Hey. You okay?" Damon asked walking into his sister's room after the memorial.

"Yeah, yeah. I just…" Charlie trailed off.

"Hey, I understand alright. It's okay. I know Bonnie would tell you she understands, that it's gonna be alright." Damon said quoting Bonnie without realizing it. Damon noticed a suitcase on his sister's bed. "You leaving?" He asked hesitantly.

"Um yeah. I'm gonna, take a time out. Spend some time to myself. I might stop by New Orleans. Rebekah said to come visit when I had the chance." Charlie said.

"I never understood the friendship you guys had. But I'm glad you have someplace to go when you need to get away. How long will you be gone?" Damon asked. Of course he was sad that his sister was leaving, especially after Stefan had left, but she needed some time for herself. Ever since the Salvatore's made their way to Mystic Falls, Charlie had been there to help clean up the messes, fight the villains, and take care of her brothers. It was time for her to do something for herself. She was wrong earlier. Of everyone in that room _she_ was the one who deserved to find happiness.

"I don't know really. Not too long. No more than a month or two. I just… it's times like these that bring it all back you know? And I just need to take a break to get my head together. I'm no help to anyone when I'm stuck in my own world." Charlie said. She felt she had to explain herself. She didn't want Damon to think she was abandoning him.

Damon put his hands on his sister's shoulders. "Charlie, I understand. Give your mind a break, see your friend, and whenever you're ready, come back. We'll be okay without you for a week or two. But if you need anything you call me okay?"

"And if you need anything you call me. I love you." Charlie said and hugged her oldest brother.

"I love you too. Don't cause too much chaos wherever you go." Damon said returning the hug.

Charlie pulled away slightly and said. "Now you're just trying to ruin my fun."

The siblings laughed together for the first time in what felt like forever.

Charlie started walking towards the door, but before she could walk out Damon stopped her.

"I have to ask, when Qetsiyah knocked you out, what happened?" Damon asked.

Charlie smiled a real, genuine smile. "He was here. It was like, another world where he never died. I felt like I was reliving everything we've been through since we got to Mystic Falls, just with him. He was here when Katherine showed up, when Klaus came to town, when we found the cure. He was just… here." She said not really having another way to explain it. "Then I woke up and realized it wasn't real. He wasn't here. I know I shouldn't leave so much of my happiness up to him, I mean it's been 50 years, move on already right? I hate that I've turned into one of _those _people, but I can't help it. Don't get me wrong, I have been happy over the years, especially when I found out my brothers were in Mystic Falls, together, but I always felt like something was missing. I guess I just need to find a way to live with the fact he's not coming back… and move on."

It's true. Charlie never was one of _those_ people. She was never one to let someone else decide how she lived or how she felt, especially after she turned. She always thought it was pathetic how girls let guys control their emotions. But it's not like he just broke up with her, he died. Maybe over time things will get better, but she will never forget him.

"I'm sorry Charlie." He said bringing her out of her thoughts. "I can't do anything to take back what happened. I can't do anything to make you feel better or take away your heartache. I can't deny the fact that it was my fault or that there may have been a different way. There might have been a ton of different things I could've done that day, but I didn't. I just need you to know that I love you, and I'm sorry." Damon said pain and guilt crossing his features.

Charlie smiled sadly at her older brother. "I know Damon." And with that she left.

Damon watched his little sister walk away. The only thing he wanted for her was happiness. If leaving Mystic Falls for a while did that, then yes she needed to leave.

Charlie needed this. She needed to get away. Away from Mystic Falls. Away from all the drama. And more importantly, away from Whitmore.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you guys think! :)**


	5. The Cell

**ENZO! **

**Just clearing up my author's note from last chapter when I said, "Seriously thinking about posting the next chapter." Obviously I was going to post, I meant "Seriously thinking about posting the next chapter ****_tonight."_**** My fault. **

**Last chapter Charlie was thinking about visiting Rebekah in New Orleans. I'm thinking about adding that as a bonus chapter later, but I wanted to get to the Enzo part so sorry if you guys got confused or something. **

**Thanks to SilverLuna for mentioning ship names. Charzo/Enlie. I personally like Charzo better, what do you think?**

**Enough with my rambling. **

**I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for the reviews/follows/favorites, they make me smile. :)**

* * *

**The Cell **

(Flashback scenes in Italics)

* * *

"What the hell are you doing to me?" Damon groans as Dr. Maxfield injects him with vervain.

"Vervain. To keep you calm." Wes explains.

"Wes? Why am I here?" Damon asks.

"I lost a test subject last night, and you're gonna replace him." Wes says and leaves the basement after closing the gate.

The only thing that came to mind as Damon sat alone in the cell, 'It's a good thing Charlie left town.'

* * *

"Come on, Elena. Wake up." Damon muttered looking through the small cell window to the other cell at Elena. "Hey." He says when she looks at him.

"Damon?" She says and starts crawling over to him. "Are you-"

"I'm fine. Wes injected you with vervain. Maybe when it wears off, we'll be able to break through these." He said and started shaking the bars to see how much give they had.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you here? Why am _I _here?" Elena asks frantically.

"Wes is carrying out the grand Augustine tradition. Getting his kicks off vampire torture." Damon explained.

"Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't have to. I've been here before. Someone in my family sold me out to the Augustines in 1953. Every day, this nut job Dr. Whitmore tortured us, cut into us, took pieces of our eyes out, pushed us to every limit he could imagine, and he had quite the imagination." Damon explained remembering all the terrible experiments done on him. "Kept me in this very cell, and don't think I haven't appreciated the irony."

"How long were you here?" Elena asked.

"5 years, give or take."

"Damon, how did you not go crazy?"

"Believe it or not, I made a friend." Damon said going into a flashback…

* * *

_"Welcome." Damon heard an unknown voice from the cell next to him. "Dr. Whitmore never gets tired of watching us vampires heal, but he gives us one glass of blood per day, just enough to keep us alive. Pick yourself up, soldier." The man said and crawled toward the bared window between cells. He held out his hand in greeting. "My name's Enzo."_

* * *

Damon stood up in his cell. "He was a soldier in Europe during World War II."

"How did he end up here?" Elena asked her boyfriend.

"Dr. Whitmore was working in a battlefield hospital when he discovered Enzo was a vampire, so he drugged him, locked him in a coffin to ship him overseas. He'd been here for 10 years by the time I joined the party…"

* * *

_Damon chugged down his glass of blood._

_"You're doing it wrong." Enzo scolded. "You're living for the moment. You need to live for the future."_

_"What future?" Damon asked. _

_"The one where you get your revenge. For instance, in my future, my revenge will start with killing Whitmore's dog and mailing it to his house postage due." Enzo explained. "Go on. Picture your revenge. Use your imagination."_

_"I can see it." Damon says and starts to carve on the wall with a rock._

* * *

"Damon, Wes knew my dad. They worked together. He said that my dad was an Augustine too. I know that my dad was a vampire hunter, but he was also the town doctor. He was kind and gentle and loving. He wouldn't be part of a place that would cut your eyes out." Elena said disgustedly.

"People are full of surprises." Damon explains. He sees Elena bury her head in her arms. "Hey. Look at me. Hey. But I promise you I will get you out of here, ok? I'll get you out of here." He promised her.

* * *

"Damon, how did you survive all those years?" Elena asked Damon.

"At first Enzo's friendship kept me alive…"

LINE BREAK

_"You much a sports fan Damon?" Enzo asked standing at the bars in his cell. When Damon didn't answer, he continued. "No. Neither am I. Any other interests – fine wines, travels, cars? I'm partial to Jaguars myself, convertibles, the kind you take on a Sunday drive to impress a pretty girl. Ever done that?"_

_"Once or twice." Damon pushed himself to speak. _

_"Oh, come now. Got to be more than that." Enzo said. _

_"Well, the girl I was trying to impress was more of," Damon groaned in pain, "a horse and carriage type girl."_

_"What, just one girl?" Enzo asked. _

_"Never met another one like her."_

_"Well, fair enough." Enzo conceded. _

_"What about you? Any pretty girls?" Damon asked back. _

_"A few. But I've never met that special someone. The one you'd do anything for. The one you'd die for. The epic love." Enzo explained. "What about family? You got any of those still running around?" _

_"Yeah. Younger brother and sister, they're twins." Damon explained moving to sit against the wall. _

_"Oh, yeah? What are their names?" Enzo said and sat down against the bars of his cell, glad to get Damon talking. _

_"Stefan and Charlotte, but she always preferred Charlie. I was closest to her." Damon explained thinking about his sister. _

_"Tell me about her." Enzo said. _

_"Well, when we were human, she was more like Stefan. Kind, caring, compassionate. Then Stefan made her turn. I mean she still has all of those qualities, but now she has a darker side. Now I'd say she's more like me. I just saw her a few months ago. I don't talk to Stefan anymore, but my little sister's still a big part of my life." Damon said unable to fight the smile at the thought of Charlie. _

_"How'd you guys turn?" Enzo asked trying to keep Damon talking. _

_"Well Stefan and I, we fell in love with the same girl who just happened to be a vampire. We ended up dying with vampire blood in our systems, and you know how that works out. After I had turned, thanks to Stefan basically forcing me to feed, I went to see Charlie, only to find her dead with Stefan standing over her. I knew he had turned her." Damon explained remembering the anger he felt slowly multiply and build toward Stefan._

_"Really? Your brother killed her? And she doesn't hate him?" Enzo asked surprised. _

_"She couldn't. He's her twin brother and she loves him. I however, was glad to make Stefan's life miserable. Not for making me turn though, because he cursed Charlie to this life. I'd do anything for her." Damon told him. "You'd like her. She was the one who didn't let me give up when I wanted to throughout my years. She always told me, 'There's always something better on the other side of misery. You just have to fight for it.'" He quoted._

_"Smart girl." Enzo commented wondering how special this girl really was. _

* * *

"You said 'at first.'" Elena told Damon thinking about Charlie. She too had missed the Salvatore sister since she left. "What changed?"

"It was a year after I had been in there. I had been scared: I didn't know what to expect, what would happen to me, if I was ever gonna get out. But no amount of fear I have ever felt in my entire existence scared me more than what happened that day…"

* * *

_It had been a day or two since Enzo and Damon had been experimented on. Someone still came in and shot them with vervain every once in a while to keep them weak, but it was a nice change, one that certainly wouldn't last too long, but still a change._

_The two heard the door open and saw Dr. Whitmore dragging someone with long, blonde hair towards the cells. A girl? _

_There had only been two cells in the basement, so Dr. Whitmore opened Enzo's cell and tossed her in carelessly then he closed the cell. She had landed in perfect view of the barred window from Damon's cell and Enzo just watched on confused. _

_Her hair was covering her face until her head rolled to the side towards Damon's cell. What he saw shocked him to his core. _

_"CHARLIE!" Damon exclaimed and raced over to the window as fast as he could. "What are you doing with her?" He looked towards the Dr. with a murderous look in his eyes, veins beginning to creep down his face. _

_"Oh great! You two know each other. This is the first time we've ever got a female vampire. I wasn't going to pass that up. I'll be able to make comparisons between male and female molecular cells to see how similar and different they are." The Dr. explained and then left. _

_Damon looked back to Charlie with tears stinging his eyes at the thought of his sister being stuck here. _

_"Charlie. Wake up." Damon kept muttering under his breath. _

_"Charlie? As in your sister Charlie?" Enzo asked not being able to look away from the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Now knowing that it was Damon's sister, he felt extremely sorry for the siblings to be in this situation. _

_"Yeah, that's her. See if you can wake her up." Damon said to Enzo trying to think of a way to wake her up. _

_Enzo moved toward Charlie carefully. He moved a few strands of hair away from her face before gently grabbing her face and turning it towards him. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was and she hadn't even opened her eyes yet. _

_"Hey. Sweetheart. Come on wake up." Enzo said a couple times. He could tell from how easy her head turned that her neck had been broken, but knew she would wake up soon. Damon just continued to sit there and watch in fear as he kept muttering her name under his breath. _

_Charlie sat up quickly, gasping for air, and slightly scaring the other two vampires. Charlie looked around frantically and noticed she was in a cement and barred cell. Freaking out, not knowing where she was, she started ramming her body towards the bars and walls trying to break out. It didn't last long though because she was still weak from being injected with vervain. _

_She noticed another presence in the cell and froze. She turned to look at the attractive man in the cell with fear. _

_"Charlie." She heard a familiar voice repeating her name from a window at the bottom of the wall._

_"Damon?!" She asked surprised. She made her way to the window and saw her brother wearing clothes marred with blood. "Damon! What's going on, where are we?" _

_"Charlie… I …" Damon kept trailing off not really knowing how to break the news to his sister. "You've been captured by the Augustines. It's a group of doctors who… experiment… on vampires trying to figure out what makes them tick."_

_"Experiment? You mean like…" Charlie trailed off too frightened to even say the word._

_"Yeah." Damon said and looked down._

_"I was right Damon," Enzo said drawing Charlie's attention back to him. "She is smart."_

_"Who are you?" Charlie asked not knowing the mysterious man she was trapped with. _

_"Charlie it's okay, this is-" Damon was interrupted. _

_"Enzo." He said and kissed the back of Charlie's hand. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you. But under the given circumstances, I really wish I didn't." _

* * *

_"So what happens now?" Charlie asked after she had calmed down a bit, but not much. Enzo and Damon tried to explain as much as possible, but she wouldn't really know until she was taken for 'experimenting.'_

_"Well sweetheart, unfortunately, now you get to spend who knows how long in this cell." Enzo said to her. He couldn't take his gaze away from her. He thought she was beautiful with her eyes closed, but now that she was looking at him, he could see her magnificent eyes and she instantly became gorgeous. He could barely imagine what a smile from her would do. _

_"Hey Charlie, look at me." Damon said drawing her attention away from Enzo. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. He had dark hair, a nice chiseled jaw, and brown eyes that turned gold in the light. "I will get you out of here. If it's the LAST thing I do, I will get you out of here. I promise." Damon assured his sister. He had a new reason to fight now: not only for himself, but for Charlie._

_The three vampires turned their head towards the sound of the door of the basement opening and Damon started shaking in fear. He knew what was coming, he could only hope that they took him instead of Charlie. _

_"Alright, 21052-1. You are a special treat to our organization. The first ever female vampire. It's going to be wonderful to figure out the differences in molecular biology. Come on. It's time for your first session." Dr. Whitmore said opening the cell door with a twisted smile on his face. _

_"Wait, please don't do this. Just let her go." Damon begged._

_"Oh, I can't do that." He said and gestured Charlie with his head to walk out the cell. _

_"Oh come on. I've always had a bit of a feminine side. Use me. What difference could it be?" Enzo tried to keep the Dr. from taking her. Charlie whipped her head to the side, surprised that this stranger was trying to take her torture for himself. _

_"No. Now come on." Dr. Whitmore said starting to get frustrated. _

_Charlie started walked out of the cell knowing there was no way out of this. But before she left, she cast a thankful look to Enzo for his attempt at saving her. She couldn't believe he would do that for her. _

_Charlie tried to keep the fear out of her face as she passed Damon's cell, not wanting to worry him with how terrified she truly was. But Damon saw it and tears welled in his eyes._

_"No! No, please!" Damon kept repeating even after the door had shut. _

_Then he heard the worst sound he had ever heard in his life. His sister, screaming in agony as she was cut open and tortured. His heart shattered and he started crying knowing there was nothing he could do about it. _

_Even Enzo, who didn't even know the girl, let a few tears leak down his face at hearing her screams._

* * *

_The two vampires were forced to listen for hours to Charlie's constant screams._

_Both vampires' head's perked up when the screams finally stopped and the basement door opened. The Dr. dragged an unconscious Charlie back to her cell and threw her in. _

_Enzo crawled over to her to assess the damage. Blood was staining her shirt over her torso and there was more blood running down the side of her neck. _

_"How is she?" Damon asked from his cell. _

_Enzo just looked over at Damon and the two shared a look. They both knew that whenever they were 'studied' it was never simply mild. _

_Enzo lifted Charlie's head and cradled it in his lap, hoping that the gesture would give her even the smallest form of comfort. _

_Damon watched on from his cell. He had noticed the looks the two were sending each other before she was taken. He noticed when Enzo had tried to take Charlie's treatment for himself like he had done for Damon on a few occasions. He even noticed the tears that had leaked down his face when they first heard her cries. Damon may not be able to physically comfort his sister, but he was glad there was someone who could. _

* * *

"Charlie was captured by the Augustines?!" Elena exclaimed, surprised at the revelation.

"That's part of the reason she left. She thought she would be able to handle being here again, but she wasn't. We had thought that the Augustines were broken up years ago, but apparently they weren't. Charlie had suffered the most during our times with the Augustines. Whereas they had a choice between me and Enzo, Charlie was their only option for female studies." Damon explained.

"Why didn't they put Charlie with you? Or even put you and Enzo together?" Elena asked.

"More to torture me with. I wasn't able to comfort her. I couldn't be there and rock her back to sleep when she woke from nightmares. It was one of the worst tortures of being there." Damon said.

"Wait, is that why she would stare off into space when we were here? Is that what her breakdown was about before she left?" Elena asked. That's why she was able to get into the Whitmore house the night of the were slowly starting to make more sense about Charlie's behavior when they had first arrived at Whitmore.

"Well, that was part of the reason…"

* * *

_Damon was pretending to be asleep in his cell while Charlie and Enzo had one of their first conversations._

_"So, Charlie, tell me about yourself. Talking helps pass the time." Enzo asked Charlie, sitting against one wall of the cell. It had been a few weeks since Charlie had been there and the two hadn't really talked much. She was always talking to Damon. But now that he was 'asleep,' he was taking the opportunity. _

_"Not much to tell really." Charlie said sitting against the opposite wall. _

_"Well tell me about your life. Damon tells me you've kept in touch all these years. What have you been up to? Where have you been?" Enzo asked trying to get her to tell him about herself. He wanted to know more about the beautiful woman he was sharing a cell with._

_"Oh here and there. I was usually on my own, but every month or two I'd hunt down my brother's and see what they were up to. See they were never in the same place, I mean once or twice throughout the years, but I think that was just coincidental. This Katherine girl turned everything upside down." Charlie said bitterly. _

_"I sense some hostility." Enzo commented. _

_"Oh you have no idea. If the bitch hadn't died the night the council rounded up the vampires, I would have killed her myself." Charlie said remembering the suffering Katherine put her family through. _

_"You hated her that much?" Enzo asked. _

_"She destroyed my family. We were happy. I mean we had problems, what family doesn't? But we were together and she tore it apart. Specifically Damon and Stefan, they were a tag team, the best of friends. Until Katherine showed up and turned them against each other. I already wasn't seeing them as much as I used to, then when she came to town we were never all together." _

_"Why weren't you seeing them? What were you up to while all this was happening?" Enzo asked her curiously. _

_"I was engaged to be married." Charlie stated. _

_"Really?" Enzo asked surprised, a little deflated at the revelation of her betrothed. _

_"Yep. I was set to be married to the richest bachelor in Mystic Falls." Charlie explained. _

_"What do you mean 'set to be?' Did you not approve of his courtship?" Enzo asked. _

_"Hell no. He was a pompous jackass who lived off his father's money because he had no skills of his own." Charlie said, matter-of-factly. _

_"So you didn't love him?" Enzo asked even more curious about her past relationship._

_"Oh no. My marriage was arranged. While my father made good money and was one of the leaders of the town, he was still a very greedy man and tried to get his paws on every cent he could. What better way than to hand his daughter off to the wealthiest suitor as soon as possible? I always knew I wasn't going to marry for love. It would always be a business agreement, but I accepted it. After all I didn't think there was anything more for me. I was a small town girl, with a small town life, and a small town future. My dream back then was to get away from there: away from father's control, away from the marriage agreement. I wanted someone who loved me for me, not because they had to or agreed to. I wanted a love so... strong and sure I could be myself around them. I didn't want to have to sensor my thoughts and feelings because it was what a 'proper lady' would do. I wanted something more, something bigger than what I had. I wanted a life of my own, where the decisions weren't made for me. Who knew it would take dying to achieve that?" Charlie joked. _

_Enzo couldn't help but admire the woman before him. She wanted better things for herself. She knew what she wanted, but wasn't able to fight for it. Back then, women's lives were basically chosen for them, but she wanted away from that. She wanted to see the world, discover new things… she wanted to live. Enzo found himself wanting to show her what she had been missing. _

_"Did you ever find it?" Enzo asked her. _

_"Find what?" Charlie asked coming out of her train of thought. _

_"Did you ever find what you were looking for? Did you ever find the life you wanted? Did you ever find love?" Enzo asked hoping she would tell him she found all that she was looking for and she was happy all these years._

_"I did find the life I wanted. I was finally in control of my decisions. No one chose what I did, or where I went next. I was finally my own person, out from underneath my father's rule. But I never found love. There was never that one special person. The one I'd do anything for. The one I'd die for. I never found my epic love." Charlie said to him. _

_Enzo realized she had basically repeated what he said and wanted word for word. He wanted that special someone he'd do anything for and in turn who would do anything for him. He wanted his epic love. He couldn't help the feeling of hope in his chest that maybe, just maybe, she could be that special person._

_"What about you? Is there a special someone waiting for you to come back?" Charlie asked Enzo. _

_"I'm still looking." Enzo said staring into her eyes. _

_Whether they knew it or not, Enzo and Charlie had a connection. They were two souls and personalities that fit together like puzzle pieces. _

* * *

_It had been a year since Charlie had been brought in. She and Damon were closer than ever, sharing in their experience of torment. And she and Enzo grew closer every day._

_There was one particular day that stood out from all the others. One of the best days they could have while in captivity. _

_Charlie had just been brought back from being 'studied' and today was brutal. She had bruises and cuts all over her torso and arms. It looked like a few ribs were broken or possible even removed. Blood was trailing down her face from where her eyes had healed over. It was the worst state she'd been in since arriving. _

_She was tossed back into her cell and Enzo was by her side immediately. This time she was still conscious, which was rare. She was usually knocked out from the pain or the vervain they injected her with. _

_"Charlie?" Damon asked from his cell seeing her battered state._

_"Hey, sweetheart, come on talk to me." Enzo encouraged. Her head kept falling to the side, too weak to keep it in one place. _

_"I can't." Charlie muttered, barely audible to the two vampires._

_"You can't what?" Damon asked but she didn't answer. _

_"You have to talk to me beautiful…" Enzo said, his worry growing even further when she was unresponsive. _

_"I can't anymore…" Charlie trailed off. _

_Damon sat back and watched as his friend comforted his sister. _

_"Hey, listen to me." Enzo said and looked her in the eye. "You have to fight this. There's so much left you haven't seen. Fight for Damon, for Stefan, for the life you've always wanted… you can't leave me." Enzo whispered the last part under his breath. He of all people knew what the Augustines were capable of doing. They took vampires and broke them down until there was nothing left. But he refused to let them tear her down. The world would be lost without a soul like hers… he would be lost. _

_"It won't go away." Charlie said still barely conscious. "The pain won't go away."_

_Enzo's face scrunched up in pain at hearing her voice. It held so much fear and agony it could bring a grown man to his knees. _

_"I can't take the pain away Charlie… but I can try and take your mind off it." Enzo said trying to get her attention. _

_At the thought of forgetting the pain, she focused on Enzo the best she could and asked, "How?"_

_Enzo didn't answer. Instead he slowly lowered his head down to hers and placed a small kiss on her lips not sure of how she would respond. When she didn't object, he did it again, and again, each kiss gaining more confidence than the last. Then she started kissing back and it was the most incredible feeling he'd ever felt in his existence. _

_Charlie used all her strength to bring her hand up to his cheek. When her body couldn't stay awake any longer she broke away, but before she lost consciousness she said, "I like that distraction." And for the first time since she'd been there, she had a deep, dreamless sleep. _

_Enzo smiled and stared at the blonde beauty before him, still shocked at what just happened. He couldn't believe he did that. He didn't know what her reaction would be, but he couldn't be happier that she responded the way she did. Maybe she felt for him what he felt for her. _

_Enzo completely forgot of the other presence that saw everything that just happened: not only a presence, but Charlie's protective older brother. _

_Enzo glanced shyly over to Damon, unaware of how he was going to react to his kissing Damon's younger sister. But when he finally met Damon's gaze he was shocked at what he saw. _

_Damon sat there, arm propped up on his knee, and a smirk on his face. What?_

_"I knew it." Damon said. _

_"Knew what?" Enzo asked surprised and confused at Damon's reaction. He figured Damon would yell at him, to leave her alone, that she deserved better than some tortured-hostage, which she did in his opinion but he couldn't help his feelings for her._

_"I knew you liked her." Damon said. Enzo looked away from him, hoping to hide the emotions running across his face. What Damon saw made the smirk drop from his face. "You love her don't you?"_

_"I can't help it." Enzo said not tearing his gaze away from Charlie's finally peaceful face. "She's beautiful, optimistic, strong. She's a caring and compassionate person, but at the same time she embraces who she is as a vampire and she won't settle for less than what she wants and deserves. She's… perfect. Yes, I love her."_

* * *

"He fell in love with her?" Elena asked surprised.

"And she fell in love with him, too, a little later." Damon said remembering Charlie's first love.

"What did you do?" Elena asked. She knew how protective Damon was of his little sister and didn't figure he'd take to it kindly.

"I gave them my blessing. They were perfect for each other. If you saw them together you would understand. It was like they were made for each other. Charlie searched her whole life for that someone, it's just shame she had to find it captivity with no freedom. It was the worst, but best situation I think they could have been in. He held her and comforted her after her 'study' sessions, she made him smile after his. She would always sing and hum this song our mother sang to us when we were little. They gave each other hope that one day they would be able to be together. Seeing Charlie find love was what made me hold on to my humanity. It pushed me to get her out of there so she could finally be happy with the love of her life." Damon explained.

"What about Stefan? If he noticed Charlie was missing he would have come to find her." Elena said.

"That's what we thought. In the first year, we thought Stefan would rescue us. He didn't. Once we got out, there was no point in giving him more to feel guilty about, so we never told him what happened here. We never told anyone." Damon said. He remembered the dying hope both he and his sister had that Stefan would come to save them.

"Yeah, but you did escape. How did you do it?" Elena asked.

"They let us out of the basement once a year. Every New Year's Eve, the Augustine people had a little cocktail party with a vampire buffet. They kept us in cages. That was the one time a year I was able to hug Charlie, I guess they were feeling generous. They put us in one cage and Enzo in the other. We were weak from vervain injections, half-starved from living on a glass of blood a day, chained up and caged like animals. This little annual shindig is where Dr. Whitmore got to show all of his Augustine friends what he'd found in his research. He let his guests drink from us to demonstrate the healing power of vampire blood. But on the plus side, that's how Enzo came up with his plan…"

* * *

_Charlie was asleep with her head in Enzo's lap and he was running his fingers through her hair. It seemed like every time they turned around she was either coming or going for experiments. Enzo sat with his back to the wall next to the window to Damon's cell with Damon matching his position on the other side. _

_Enzo held up his glass of blood with his other hand. "Well, the thing about our daily ration of blood is that it's barely enough for one vampire to survive on, but if one vampire were to drink two rations every day for the next year, he'd be able to build up his strength so that by the time New Year's Eve comes round again, that one vampire will be ready to fight."_

_"Are you sure that will work?" Damon asked. _

_"I'm sure I can only try with your help. We've just got to choose between us." Enzo explained. Charlie already had more blood than they had daily. That's only because she went through twice the torment and her body would desiccate without it. _

_Damon agreed and the two set down their glasses of blood. "Alright, Damon. We're gonna play scissor, paper, stone to decide."_

_They tied the first two rounds until Damon won. "Paper covers rock."_

_"Alright." Enzo conceded. "A win's a win. You'll lead the way. Here's my ration. Now we've got 364 days to get you ready for the party. Cheers." Enzo passed his glass to Damon. _

_"Cheers." _

* * *

"So, did it work?" Elena asked.

"More or less."

"How did you get out?"

"It doesn't matter, Elena. I got strong, I got Charlie and me out. It wasn't pretty. All you need to know." Damon said blowing off the subject. She didn't need to know.

* * *

"Wes is gonna come back down here, we'll both be the newest Augustine experiment. You have to tell me how you got out of here, Damon." Elena demanded.

"You don't want to know, Elena." Damon pressed.

"Why? You think I'm gonna judge you?" When he didn't answer she continued. "Damon, I love you. I love you, and these people tortured you for five years, Charlie for four. Whatever you had to do, I don't care.

"Alright." Damon agreed. "Alright, the Augustines next party was in 1958. I'd been drinking Enzo's rations for an entire year. I mean, he kept a few drops here and there and Charlie made him drink some of hers every now and then so he wouldn't desiccate, and as he starved himself, I got stronger from all the extra blood just like he said I would. The day before the party though, both Enzo and I gave our rations to Charlie, so that just in case something went wrong, she could get out of there."

* * *

_Enzo was in one cage while Damon and Charlie were in the other right beside it. Damon had a look of determination on his face. The three shared looks between each other in anticipation. _

_"Leave Dr. Whitmore to me." Charlie said quietly to Damon. Enzo heard, however, and couldn't wait to watch his girl extract her vengeance. _

_"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Whitmore said walking towards the cages. "As it is almost midnight, I think it fitting that we toast the New Year with a glass of vampire blood, wouldn't you agree? And let's add to that, not only will we toast vampire blood, a few of you will have the treat of toasting the blood of the first female vampire the Augustine organization has had." He said gloating. He opened Damon and Charlie's cage allowing the two to step out. _

_While Dr. Whitmore was closing the cage, Charlie forced one of her hands through her cuffs, breaking the bones in her hand to get it off. Whitmore looks at her and notices her hand free. Charlie holds up her hand to allow Dr. Whitmore to see the bones healing with a threatening look in her eye, all the while Damon and Enzo watched on smirking. _

_"Now you see it..." Charlie said before shoving her thumbs into the Dr.'s eye sockets. _

_Damon broke his cuffs apart and started attacking those nearby as Charlie sunk her fangs into Dr. Whitmore's neck. The two were too busy destroying and killing they didn't notice a fire had started. _

_After Charlie had killed a few more people she noticed the fire. She ran to Enzo's cage with and the two smiled at each other, finally about to have their freedom. Charlie grabbed the key that was used to open their cage and put it in the lock on Enzo's cage, however, the fate defying 'click' of the lock they were expecting to hear never happened. _

_"It's a different key." Charlie said under her breath. "Damon!" she yelled back toward her brother. _

_Damon heard Charlie yell for him and raced toward her. _

_"It's a different key, it won't open." Charlie said._

_The three of them frantically pulled on the bars, only they were covered in vervain and they couldn't hold on long enough. They tried and tried, but no matter what they did the bars wouldn't give._

_Damon noticed the fire spreading. Charlie and Enzo never stopped trying to open the bars but Damon knew it was no use. _

* * *

"Enzo trusted me with his life. The fire was getting out of control. Charlie and I would have burned up, or they would have captured us again. There's no way I would have ever gotten the chance to get Charlie out of there. There was no way for us to escape again." Damon said sadly.

Elena peered through the bars at Damon, stunned to what he was implying.

"Charlie was getting weaker by the second. So I chose to save my sister."

* * *

_Damon gave up trying to open the bars, there was too much vervain, the fire was getting out of control... they were out of time. _

_Damon backed away from the cage shaking his head in defeat. He looked back towards his sister and Enzo. _

_"Damon? What are you doing, we have to get him out of here!" Charlie said wondering why her brother wasn't helping._

_"Damon." Enzo said worried at what Damon was thinking. _

_"I'm sorry Enzo." Damon said sadly. _

_"Damon, please." Enzo begged. _

_"Damon, we can't just leave him here." Charlie told him, tears filling her eyes. _

* * *

"I knew if I was going to save myself and my sister that I had to stop caring about Enzo. And there was no way Charlie was going to leave him. She was going to die trying. So I snapped her neck, and I turned off my emotions."

* * *

_"Charlie, I'm sorry." Damon said. Before anyone could blink Damon snapped Charlie's neck. _

_"Damon! What are you doing? Please you can't leave!" Enzo begged. _

_Damon shut his eyes, flipped the switch, and suddenly he just didn't care. _

_He looked down towards his sister, threw her over his shoulder, and left without a second thought, all while Enzo begged him not to walk away and leave him there. _

* * *

"I left my friend to die. I left my sister's one true love to die." Damon said sadly.

"If you didn't have your emotions, why did you take Charlie with you?" Elena asked confused.

"Remember when Stefan had his emotions off? He couldn't let me die either. Call it sibling bond or whatever, but I knew I couldn't leave Charlie to die." Damon explained.

"And Charlie didn't hate you? I mean you snapped her neck and left her one true love to die. How did she ever forgive you for that?" Elena asked stunned.

"She may have hated me the first few years, but I didn't care. My emotions were off. That was the only time in my life that Charlie and I lost contact. But eventually she found me, and she told me it was okay. That she couldn't hate me, no matter how much she wanted to. But I was family, and she would love me 'till the end." Damon explained, to this day stunned at how his sister had forgiven him. "But ever since then, she's never found another love."

To be honest he didn't think she actually did forgive him. Even the most forgiving person would hate you if you killed their one love. But they were family. He thinks she merely accepted it. Accepted the fact that her brother killed her one and only love, and he wasn't coming back.

"Wait, that's the '_him' _isn't it? That's the '_him'_ she woke up sobbing over after we got Stefan from Qetsiyah. That's why you were apologizing so much." Elena finally figured out.

"There was nothing I could do to take her pain away." Damon said in sad defeat.

Elena sat in the cell next to him, the one Charlie and Enzo shared, shaking her head in disbelief at what she had heard.

Not only had he left his best friend, he left his sister's one true love, her _epic love_. The one she searched years for, and he took that away from her. It was times like those she realized how forgiving Charlie really was, especially towards her brothers.

* * *

Elena was taken away from the cells to a different building. Damon had admitted to killing ALL of the Whitmore's for generations. She couldn't believe all the things she had discovered today in the cell.

She woke up to notice she was strapped to a table. Still disoriented and trying to determine where she was. All she could here was someone humming, what sounded to be, a happy tune.

"What's happening?" She asked aloud pulling on her restraints.

"Ahh. Welcome." She hears a deep voice say. She turns to her right to notice another vampire strapped to the table. "I'm 12144. My name's Enzo." He says and goes back to his humming.

WHAT?!

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it. Please review. Let me know what you think! :)**


	6. Fifty Shades of Grayson

**Hey readers! I just wanted to thank you guys so much for your kind comments, they really make my day. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Fifty Shades of Grayson **

* * *

Damon and Stefan were trying to get Wes to hand over Elena by taking Aaron but it wasn't really working.

"Why don't we call Charlie? She's always had a knack for getting what she wants." Stefan asked Damon as they sat at the college dorms with Aaron. He'd been missing his sister, especially since he got his memories back.

"No. She doesn't need to be dragged back into this." Damon insisted. He couldn't begin to think how she would feel if she knew that the Augustines were still a working organization.

"What do you mean 'back into this?'" Stefan asked Damon skeptically.

"Come on. Let's go to the classroom." Damon dismissed him and the two vampires followed Aaron towards Dr. Maxfield's classroom.

* * *

Once the three were outside, Stefan was getting frustrated with the lack of information.

"You want to give me a little back story as to how you know one another?" Stefan asked Damon about Aaron.

"Aaron is Aaron Whitmore, and he comes from a very long line of vampire-probing, blood-testing, organ-removing freaks called Augustine." Damon explained with hostility.

"Why do you know this?"

"Because I was one of their test subject's back in the '50s." Damon said.

"What do you mean test subject?"

"Meaning I donated my body to science except I was alive… and it was against my will." Damon told him as if it was nothing.

"Wait. Hold on a minute." Stefan stopped him. "How do I not know about this?"

"Don't get all 'guilt-ridden Stefan' on me. We were on the outs back then, and by the time it was over, you know, it was over." Damon said not giving away to the fact that Charlie was stuck there with him.

"Why don't you finish the rest of the story, Damon?" Aaron said referring to the part where he killed the whole Whitmore clan.

"I don't recall saying that you could talk." Stefan snapped to Aaron then asked Damon, "Did I say that he could talk?"

"I don't remember anything." Damon commented.

"I didn't think so." Stefan said and they continued walking.

* * *

Aaron led Stefan and Damon to the classroom.

"Which one is it?" Damon asked.

"It's right here." Aaron said and opened the door.

They entered the classroom unaware of the other presence in the back of the room.

"21051." A familiar voice said.

Damon stared in disbelief at the figured that was relaxed with his feet propped on the desk. "Enzo?"

Enzo stood up, eyes locked on Damon. "It's been a while mate." He started walking towards the group, Damon avoiding eye contact.

"Who the hell are you?" Stefan asked confused.

"Lorenzo. But my friends call me Enzo. Well, one person does. I don't have any other friends." Enzo smirked and held his hand out to Stefan who ignored it.

"Enzo's another Augustine vampire. Our cells were next to each other." Damon told Stefan then turned to Enzo. "So we're here to meet somebody- Wes Maxfield. You know him?"

"That's your first question for me?" Enzo asked snidely. "Not, 'How are you? How'd you survive in that fire I left you to die in?'"

"Uh, does somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Aaron asked.

"I'd love to. Have a seat. Been waiting 70 years to tell my story." He said and hoped up to sit on the teacher's desk."

* * *

Stefan had left to threaten Wes, again, while Enzo started telling his story to Aaron. He had hopped up on the demonstration desk at the front of the room, Aaron was in a chair, and Damon was standing back wanting to be anywhere but here right now.

"Damon and I had been locked in those cells for a year, tortured, beaten, humiliated, but we weren't gonna let them break us, no." Enzo started but was interrupted by Stefan walking into the room.

The second Stefan had walked in the room earlier Enzo knew exactly who he was. It was obvious that he and Charlie were twins. Damon was right though, they had different eyes and Charlie's hair was slightly blonder. Charlie's eyes, the ones that had been burned into his brain, the eyes he would never forget, seemed to be the perfect combination between her two brothers'. Seeing the resemblance between the twins made Enzo miss Charlie that much more.

"He's not sending her." Stefan said to Damon.

"Tragic." Enzo commented. "Can I continue my story now, please?"

They ignored him though and Damon asked, "Doesn't he know we have Aaron?"

"He doesn't care. He's willing to risk it."

"What?" Aaron asked surprised. "Let me talk to him! He'll listen to me."

"What part of 'he doesn't care' are you not registering?" Damon asked him.

Enzo, fed up with being ignored and interrupted, jumped off the desk and walked towards one of the seats. He ripped it out of the floor and threw it to get their attention.

"Where were we? Uh, ah, right. I was telling my story, and you were all politely listening. Huh?" He said and walked back to the front of the classroom. "So there we were, just Damon and I for one year, stuck with only each other as company, until they brought someone new in. The first female vampire in Augustine history. 21052-1." Enzo said remembering the day they brought her in. "Otherwise known as-"

"Charlie." Damon finished for him sadly, also remembering the day she arrived. The fear and shame that he felt knowing he couldn't protect her like he was supposed to haunting him to this day.

Stefan's head whipped to Damon so fast, if he were human, he would have gotten whiplash. "WHAT?!"

"Yes, okay Stefan. Charlie was an Augustine too." Damon sad finally admitting what they had kept secret all these years.

"How did I not know that? Why wouldn't she tell me?" Stefan asked, mainly to himself.

"You didn't need to know. She didn't want to tell you. You had already felt guilty with being a ripper she didn't want to add onto that." Damon explained.

"Yes Stefan," Enzo dug at him, "While you were out, living your free life, your brother and twin sister we're being held captive and tortured by a group of scientists. Brother of the year to you, mate."

Stefan ignored Enzo the best he could, although he knew everything he said was true. "Is that why she left?"

Enzo felt a pull on his heart knowing that Charlie wasn't here, but he too, wanted to hear what Damon had to say.

"She tried. She tried to be here: to come to college, to live a semi-normal life, to be with her friends living up the college experience. But she couldn't. It brought back too much pain and heartbreak." Damon explained to Stefan sadly.

"Heartbreak?" Stefan asked confused.

Damon waited a few seconds before answering Stefan while still avoiding Enzo's glares. "She and Enzo fell in love." He admitted.

* * *

"They were in love?" Stefan asked surprised. Maybe that's why she's never had another love. As far as he knew she never loved anyone period.

"Very." Enzo said coming out of his silence with a smile on his face from talking about his one and only. "For four years, she and I shared a cell together. I was there when she would come back from experimentations, beaten and bruised. She would make me smile and laugh when I got back from mine. She was perfect. She was what gave me the extra motivation to get out. So that's what we did. Damon and I formulated a plan to get out. I gave all my blood rations to Damon so he could have the strength to escape. Only things didn't go as planned did they Damon?" He finished with a snide remark. "Why don't you tell the rest of the story?"

Damon figured he might as well tell, considering Stefan was going to find out eventually. "Charlie was getting extra blood because of how… intense her sessions were. So between Enzo and I, we played rock, paper, scissors to see who would carry out the plan. I won. The night we escaped, Charlie and I were in one cage with Enzo in the other. Once Charlie and I were out, a fire started. Charlie tried to use the key to open his cage, but it wouldn't work. We were stuck without a way to get him out. So I saved Charlie and myself."

"That's not all though is it Damon?" Enzo asked him. "I was waiting for him to release me, waiting for my friend, one of the only souls with whom I connected with in all those years of captivity to let me out so Charlie and I could finally start a life together. So we could finally be free. Charlie fought with all she had to get the damn cage open, while he just gave up. She kept trying and wouldn't stop. So he snapped her neck. He then looks me in the eye, as if he doesn't even recognize me, and he walks away. Leaving me to die."

"Well, you didn't die, obviously." Stefan said trying to process all the information flying at him.

"Nope. I lived. I was spared by one of the scientists so I could spend another 50 years on a table being opened and closed. I didn't care anymore, but then I thought of Charlie. Even in my darkest days, she was the hope that kept me going, that pushed me to come out the other side. Hope that I could one day get out and find her again, that we could finally be together, that we could be happy." Enzo said remembering the times where he wanted to give up. But he held on. He held on for Charlie. He took a deep breath, "Well, now that we've all been acquainted, I'm gonna find something to wet my whistle." Enzo said and left.

He really wanted nothing more than to leave the damn place and find Charlie. But with the poison running through his veins, he'd be dead before he could make it 5 miles. She was close, so close. She had come back here to start a normal college life with her friends. She tried, but she just couldn't be here and he understood. Damon said she couldn't handle the heartbreak, and that meant she was still hurting over his loss. And as much as he didn't want her to be hurt or broken, he couldn't help the feeling growing in his chest that she still loved him as he did her.

* * *

"You didn't tell me about him. Neither did Charlie." Stefan said kinda pissed.

"It was the 1950's. I'm supposed to remember every moment of my life? I had promised Charlie I wouldn't tell you, she could tell you about Enzo if she wanted to. Now, do you want to kill Aaron, or should I?" He changed the subject.

"This guy was your cellmate and friend for five years. He was Charlie's true love and you left him to die! He comes back and you're completely unfazed?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Fine. I will." Damon said ignoring him and walked towards Aaron.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Aaron said backing away. "Hold on. Wes gave me a bunch of files on my family history. They're in my dorm, ok? Maybe there's something in there you need, a name, I mean uh, another lab."

"That's a timely revelation."

"Yeah. Well, you know, he's not gonna help me, why should I help him?" Aaron reasoned.

Damon started advancing towards him threateningly. "I don't like you, I don't like your family, I don't like you messing with my relationship. If you're lying, I'm gonna take my thumbs, and I'm gonna gouge out your sad little eyes out of your sad little head!"

"Did you learn that from your sister mate?" Enzo said entering the room with two bottle of liquor. "I remember when Charlie gouged out the eyes of Dr. Whitmore. It was amazing. The irony will be great too."

"We're going with plan 'b.'" Stefan said to him, ignoring the part about Charlie and eye gouging.

"Damon's not. Damon's staying right here. He knows all my secrets, so he knows how ornery I can get when I don't get my way." Enzo said pouring himself a drink.

"Call me if you find anything, kill him if you don't." Damon said dismissing Stefan and Aaron.

* * *

Enzo stood by the window while Damon was in the front of the classroom. "What about cricket? That ever become a thing here?"

"No."

"Oh, shame. Fun sport. Not that I can play. Took up drawing for a while. Of course I had no pencil, so I'd just prick my finger and paint the cell wall with my blood." Enzo said trying to dig at Damon.

"What do you want? You want me to feel guilty? I couldn't save you. Now, where's Elena?" Damon demanded.

"What I want, is for you to call Charlie." Enzo said before he bent over in pain.

"What's wrong with you?" Damon asked.

"Wes injected me with poison that will stop my heart. I'll desiccate if I don't return for the antidote." Enzo explained.

"All the more reason to tell me where he is. Look. You get the antidote, I'll save my girlfriend, you'll get Charlie back, and the three of us can kill him together." Damon tried to reason.

"Did you even think about it after you left… the experiments, the cell," Enzo asked walking toward him, "Or did you just go out and live your merry life to its fullest, forgetting what you went through? What your sister went through?"

Damon ignored his last comment, hoping that he could forget what happened to his baby sister. "Look at me. If you go back, we go back together. We finish this for good. Come on." Damon encouraged and offered his hand.

Enzo put his hand in Damon's. "You're not gonna see your girl again, Damon." He said and crushed his hand. "You're going to feel what I felt, as the love of your life is ripped away from you. I want the antidote Damon, and Wes told me not to come back until you were dead." Enzo pulled Damon by the neck and threw him out of the window.

* * *

"I imagine you just broke your clavicle." Enzo said limping in pain towards Damon. "Probably a few lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. It's funny what you learn about your body when it's taken a part like a bloody automobile right before your eyes!"

"I'm not gonna fight you, Enzo." Damon said getting up.

"What are you gonna do then, run? You're good at that." Enzo tried to punch Damon, but Damon blocks him and crushes the bones in his hand.

"What will Charlie think if you kill her brother?" Damon said trying to get Enzo to back down.

"If I don't kill you, Dr. Wes won't give me the antidote, and I'll never see Charlie again." Enzo tried to defend.

"We can find a way together. We'll get the antidote. Just tell me where Elena is." Damon pushed.

Before Enzo could answer, sickly black veins stared to make their way up his neck and down his arms. "Bloody poison." Enzo muttered before falling to the ground.

Damon grabbed him before he fell completely. "Where's Wes Enzo? Where's Elena?"

The only thing Enzo could say before he completely desiccated was, "Charlotte."

* * *

Enzo woke up and sat up on the table looking around.

"Oh. Never mind." Damon said to himself.

"What did you do now?" Enzo asked skeptically.

"Well, I injected you with a bunch of these that say, 'antidote,' and apparently, one of them worked." Damon gestured to a table full of empty vials.

"If this is some attempt to make a make amends, it's a bit pathetic, mate." Enzo walked toward him.

"I don't care about amends 'mate.' My girlfriend's safe, so technically, I'm not suffering, and it'd really suck if you desiccated in vain…" Damon said before racing to Enzo, shoving his hand in his chest and grabbing his heart. "…and I'm gonna tell you my side of the story. You asked me if I thought about you after I escaped, and the answer is yes I did. I've been punished for the last 50 years. Every time someone asked Charlie if she ever loved anyone or where he was, I got to watch as my sister's heart shattered all over again. I got to watch as she was reminded of what she lost, of what _I _took away from her. I got to watch as all the pain, and suffering, and heartbreak that she tried to bury so deep, rose to the surface. I watched all of this, and I couldn't do anything about it. The worst part is, it was all my fault." Damon released his grip on Enzo's heart but kept his hand in his chest. "Leaving wasn't an easy decision Enzo, but I had to save my sister. I knew she would never leave without you so yes, I snapped her neck. You were my friend Enzo. I had to shut off my humanity to walk away. And if I could do it over, I'd do the same damn thing, as long as it meant my sister got to live."

"What now Damon? Are you asking me to forgive you? I can't hate you, because if the situation were reversed I'd do the same thing… whatever it took to save Charlie. But that doesn't mean I can forgive you for leaving me to die. You're still a monster." Enzo said sternly.

"We're even, Enzo." Damon took his hand out of Enzo's chest and pushed him away. "I don't need you're forgiveness. I only ever needed Charlie's. Now that I know you're alive, I can look her in the eye and not feel guilty. I'm not gonna tell her you're alive Enzo. I'll let you do that. I don't think she'd believe me anyway."

Damon gave one last look to his long lost friend, and then he walked away.

Enzo was left with the sudden realization that he was free. He didn't need Wes for the antidote. He could get out, live his life with Charlie like he's always wanted. Now all he needed to do was find her and hope she missed him as much as he missed her.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review, they make me smile! :)**


	7. The Devil Inside

**Here it is guys! The moment we've all been waiting for! **

**I really hope you guys like this chapter. I hope the wait has been worth it. **

* * *

**The Devil Inside**

* * *

Katherine's Dead! The bitch is finally gone!

Now that that's settled, other business requires further attention. For one, Damon and Elena are on the out's, again. Not much else to say about that. Damon received a lovely intervention from Caroline and Stefan, again, on what to do about Elena that helped him in absolutely no way. So nothing new really.

Damon walked into the Boarding House, needing to be on his own for a bit and saw someone he thought wouldn't want to ever see him again.

Enzo was sitting on the couch with his feet propped up.

"Enzo…"

"Hello, Damon. We've got a bit of business to attend to." Enzo greeted.

Damon pointed to the corner of his own mouth, referring to the blood on the corner of Enzo's, "You missed a spot." Then he notices the body bag on the floor. Uh oh.

* * *

"God, I love a good fire." Enzo said standing in front of the fireplace. He turned to Damon, "Oh. That's so wrong, isn't it? Since you left me to burn alive in one."

"Didn't we already do this? I did end up saving your life ya know. We're even." Damon said.

Enzo laughed at Damon.

"What's in the bag?" Damon asked concerning the bag on the floor.

"More like who. Uh. Since you and I last spoke, I've done a bit of soul searching… had a trip to the barber… did a little research, which revealed to me that you killed almost every member of the Whitmore family in the years since you escaped, leaving just one alive each time to carry on the family name – producing a whole new generation of victims for you to slaughter… exactly as you said you'd do back when we were cellmates." Enzo explained.

"Well you know me… I like to keep my promises." Damon said.

"And it's occurred to me that perhaps I wrote you off too quickly. That, in fact, the Damon Salvatore I remember is alive and well. I have a present for him." Enzo unzipped the bag.

"Okay you brought me Aaron Whitmore… alive. But there's something you want, and seeing that she is nowhere near here, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that 'thing' is Charlie." Damon said snidely knowing that if Enzo knew where Charlie was he would be with her.

Enzo sighed staring at Damon in defeat. "I can't find her. I don't even know where to start looking."

"I figured as much." Damon said with a smirk.

"Why's that?" Enzo asked confused.

"Well, let's just say, Charlie has a talent for staying hidden when she doesn't want to be found." Damon explained.

Enzo paused before asking, "Have you talked to her? Ya know, since you found out I was alive?"

"I have actually. Just talked to her yesterday in fact. I kept my promise though, I didn't tell her you were alive. But I did tell her Katherine was dying, ya know just in case Charlie wanted to add to Katherine's misery. But she declined saying and I quote, 'That evil, psychotic, bitch isn't worth the brain cells I would lose talking to her.'" Damon quoted his sister.

Enzo smiled, remembering the bitterness Charlie had towards Katherine. "Wait, I thought Katherine was dead?" He asked confused.

"Long story short, she wasn't but now she is." Damon said.

"I see. Well, here's my offer, my forgiveness, and Aaron Whitmore, and in exchange you either tell me where Charlie is, or you call her and tell her to come here. So what do you say?" Enzo suggested.

Damon weighed the pros and cons of the situation until he came to a decision. "Deal."

* * *

"As much as I've enjoyed your quality bourbon, I feel confident our next drink will taste better with young Aaron's dying screams ringing in our ears. And your final act of revenge will bring both us and Charlie closure and a new beginning." Enzo said ready to get to the killing part.

"I'm just curious, but do you ask all of your friends to sign a deal by killing someone over drinks?" Damon asked.

"His grandfather split our eyes open with a scalpel. You've taken it out on everyone else in the Whitmore family. I thought you'd want this." Enzo said confused.

"Would you believe he's a friend of a friend?" Damon suggested.

"No because that would force me to believe you've gone soft, when you and I both know that your first impulse when I presented him to you was to rip out his throat. Show me my old friend is still in there someplace." Enzo said.

Damon looked down at Aaron in contemplation.

"End this… for both of us. For Charlie." Enzo said.

"You're right." Damon said looking to Enzo. "My first impulse when you opened that bag was to rip his throat out like I've done to the rest of the Whitmore's. But I can't, for two reasons. 1.) Being that Elena would be _extremely _upset with me and we are already on the outs. I don't want to give her another reason to walk away. And 2.) Because Charlie deserves this. Charlie's the one who should end the Whitmore line, whether she chooses to or not, I'm not sure. But I'm going to give her the option. Between the three of us, she gets to decide his fate." Damon explained.

Enzo wasn't happy with the result. He wanted to end Aaron Whitmore's life _now_. But Damon was right. Charlie should be the one to decide what happens to him. She should get to choose. Plus, that involves her coming to town, and ultimately, Enzo will get to see her again. This will force Damon to live up to his end of the agreement to get Charlie here.

"So what are you going to do with him? Keep him here until she decides what to do?" Enzo asked.

"No. I'm going to let him go. And if Charlie chooses to kill him. That will be her decision, and she can seek him out. She also has a talent for finding things." Damon said.

And with that, Damon and Enzo watched the last Whitmore potentially leave their lives forever.

* * *

Damon was calling Charlie. He needed to get her here to choose Aaron Whitmore's fate. She also needed to know that Enzo was alive.

"Hello?" Charlie answered after a few rings.

Enzo's body froze just from hearing her voice, hearing the voice of the woman who kept him holding on all these years. While in captivity, he swore he could hear her calming him, telling him everything was gonna be okay, singing to him.

"Hey sis, how's it going?" Damon asked her.

"Fine." Charlie answered simply.

"So, what have you been up to?" Damon asked dancing around the subject.

"Damon, if you are calling me to tell me that Katherine didn't actually die, I will reach through this phone and strangle you." Charlie threatened.

Enzo had to hold back a laugh whereas Damon chuckled at her. "No, no, she's dead, buried her myself. Listen, you need to come home."

"Why? What's wrong?" Charlie asked jumping to the worst conclusion.

"Just get here." Damon insisted.

"Damon, tell me what's going on." Charlie demanded. They could hear her moving around through the phone.

Damon looked over at Enzo. "Let's just say, you're going to want to see this."

"Could you be more cryptic please? I just love not knowing what the hell you're talking about." Charlie sassed.

"When can you be here?" Damon pushed.

"20 minutes, give or take." Charlie said.

"You're that close?" Damon asked, surprised she wasn't in Italy or something.

"Well I guess it was a good thing considering I can't leave you alone for two seconds without getting into trouble." Charlie said.

"Harsh. Alright. Get here as soon as you can. Be safe." Damon said.

"I will. Don't piss anyone else off until I get there." Charlie said and hung up the phone.

"She's still as smart as ever." Enzo commented more to himself with a fond smile.

"She always has been. She's the genius in our family." Damon said kindly of his sister.

They were quiet for a few seconds until Enzo asked, "Has she changed much over the years?"

"Not really." Damon said sitting down on the couch, Enzo sitting in the chair ready to listen. "She's still her crazy, fun, adventurous self. She's just as she's always been… until she's reminded of you or what happened, which had been happening a lot before she left. She usually just kind of goes into her own mind for a day or two, but then she's back, like nothing ever happened." Damon told him of Charlie's behavior.

"What pushed her to leave?" Enzo asked.

"She wanted something normal. She wanted routine. So she tried to go to Whitmore with Elena and Caroline to live the 'college experience.' She thought she would be able to handle it. But Elena said ever since they got there, she hadn't been herself. She would always stare off into space like she wasn't completely there. The night she left, a witch had knocked her out. She woke up a few hours later and told me, 'I saw _him_.' Then she just… broke. She's usually so in control of her emotions, but that night, it was like she was losing you all over again. She never moved on from you Enzo." Damon explained to his friend.

Enzo was lost in his thoughts about what he had heard. That she still thought about him, that she hadn't moved on. It's not like he wanted her to be miserable all these years. But knowing she still loved him sent warmth through his dead heart.

"Damon!" Charlie called as she walked in the front door of the Boarding House, surprising the vampires and taking them from their own thoughts.

Enzo flashed out of the room right before Charlie entered the living room.

"Hey." Charlie said and Damon stood up. "What was so important that I had to race here?"

"Charlie." She heard a deep British voice say from behind her.

Charlie froze hearing his voice, a voice she thought she'd never hear again. She would have thought it was her imagination if Damon hadn't been staring behind her with a sly smile on his face.

Charlie turned as slowly as possible before she was fully facing the supposed dead love of her life.

"Enzo?" She asked tears filling her eyes.

"Hello Sweetheart." Enzo said staring right back at her, tears filling his own eyes. He had always dreamed about the day he would see her again, and even now he couldn't believe it was happening. She was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her, which seemed impossible.

Charlie slowly walked towards Enzo, afraid that any sudden movement and he would disappear. She stopped right in front of him, just staring. Then she did something so completely 'Charlie,' it didn't even surprise Enzo, although it shocked Damon.

She slapped him.

Enzo's head whipped to the side from the force. Wow, she knows how to hit. A smile grew on his face as he turned his head back to Charlie, chuckling under his breath. "I missed you too Gorgeous."

When he didn't disappear like she thought he would Charlie's eyes grew wide. He's here. He's really here.

Charlie broke down in tears and Enzo wrapped his arms around her tightly, happy to have her in his arms again. Neither one of them noticed Damon leave the room with a smile on his face to give them some privacy.

Charlie clutched onto him, as if he were the one thing keeping her alive. Enzo returned the sentiment, a few tears making their way down his face.

He pulled back to look into her eyes before threading his fingers through her hair and pressing his lips firmly onto hers with Charlie instantly responding.

The two kissed for what seemed like seconds but was actually several minutes. Neither Charlie nor Enzo could keep the smiles from their faces.

When they were finally able to pull back, Charlie looked up at Enzo and asked, "How in the hell are you alive?"

Enzo, still smiling answered, "Someone came in before the fire reached the cage. I've been with the Augustines ever since."

"They're still around? And you've been with them all this time? How did you not go insane?" Charlie asked in disbelief.

"Because of you. I dreamed of the day I'd find you again, and that kept me going." Enzo said to her.

More tears filled Charlie's eyes and she laid her forehead against his. "I never wanted to leave you." She said quietly.

"I know Sweetheart. It's not your fault. It doesn't even matter now." Enzo stressed wanting her to know it wasn't her fault she couldn't get him out.

"I've missed you so much. I thought you were dead." Charlie said sincerely.

"I've missed you too. I'm not dead. I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm more in love with you now than I ever have been." Enzo said looking into her eyes with so much sincerity Charlie almost drowned in it.

"I love you too. I always have." Charlie said and kissed him again.

* * *

The couple lost track of time, but were brought back to reality by a throat clearing behind them. The two separated reluctantly and turned towards the culprit.

Damon smirked at the two, "Not that I'm not happy for you two and all, but A.) That's my sister, and B.) We have other issues to attend to."

"What's going on?" Charlie turned her body towards Damon but Enzo refused to let her go.

"Revenge." Enzo whispered in her ear, loving the shiver it caused to rush down her spine.

"Tell me more." Charlie said excitedly.

"Aaron Whitmore is the last of the Whitmore's, and as you know, I've been killing off the family for generations. It's your turn to make the choice." Damon said. "You can either, get revenge and kill him, or, let him live the rest of his life away from here and away from vampires." A small part of him hoped she would choose to let him live, so he wouldn't get blamed by Elena for this. Yeah, he probably could have saved Aaron. Sent him on his merry way without offering revenge to Charlie, but who was he to take that away from his sister. Plus, he knew when it came to revenge, she was the best of the best, she won't pass this up. So he basically signed Aaron's death certificate when he made the offer to Charlie

"Do you really have to ask that?" Charlie said incredulously. "Where is he? Let's end this one and for all and move on!"

"That's my girl!" Enzo said and pressed his lips to her cheek. He was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her, not wanting to let go.

"So where is he?" Charlie asked ready to kill the last Whitmore.

"He's not here." Damon said almost shyly.

"Well, he was, but Damon let him go." Enzo teased.

"What? Why? He was here and you let him go?" Charlie asked surprised and kind of ticked off that she'd have to go chasing after him.

"I know, I know. Bad move on my part. However, I have some things to do right now. I'm still on the outs with Elena. You two catch up and plan you're revenge strategies, while I go to the party celebrating Katherine's death." Damon said and grabbed his jacket to walk out the door.

"Should I call you after I find Aaron, or after I kill him?" She asked her brother.

"After you kill him. I don't need to know more about his impending fate than I already do." Damon said and walked towards the door. He looked back and saw Charlie and Enzo staring at each other smiling with loving looks in their eyes. For the first time since that fateful day, he couldn't see the underlying pain in her eyes, she looked simply, happy. And he was happy that she was happy. "It's good to have you back sis." Damon said to her.

She turned to him still smiling. "Good to be back."

Damon walked out the door leaving the happy couple to themselves.

* * *

Charlie and Enzo were sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, simply enjoying being together after all this time. They sat against the arm of the couch, her back to his chest and his arms around her. Charlie told him what she had been up to the last 50 years, and Enzo told her the dreams he would have that he swore were real. Where she would be there, encouraging him to just hold on a little longer.

"You know," Enzo said fitting his chin into the crook of her neck, "before you were brought in to the Augustines, Damon told me about you. He told me about a loving and caring girl with a bit of a dark side. He said I'd like her, he had no idea. He also said, she had this saying she always told him. 'There's always something on the other side of misery-"

"You just have to fight for it." She said remembering what she told both Damon and Stefan.

"You were that thing I was fighting for." He whispered into her ear.

She turned around to face him and looked into his eyes seeing absolute truth in what he had said, not that she doubted him.

She pressed her lips to his and he returned it immediately. Enzo started to trail kisses down her neck when her phone rang causing both of them to groan.

"Do you have to answer it?" Enzo whined.

"Unfortunately." She grumbled and grabbed for her phone.

"What?" She answered impatiently.

"Have you killed Aaron Whitmore yet?" Damon asked. Elena had just ended it completely with him and he needed something to take his mind off of it. What better way than murder?

"No. Why?" Charlie asked curiously.

"I have an idea." Damon told her.

Enzo and Charlie looked at each other smirking.

* * *

"Hey. You alright?" Aaron Whitmore said getting out of his car and approaching the man lying in the road.

Enzo sat up suddenly frightening Aaron, "Never better. We've be waiting for you." Damon appeared behind Aaron. "Damon's been teaching me a little game."

"Who do you think taught him?" Charlie asked appearing out of nowhere and scaring Aaron.

Enzo smiled at his girlfriend, "Sorry, love." He turned back to Aaron. "See, he assured me you'd be on this road, heading out of town."

"I thought that you were going to let me go?" Aaron asked Damon.

"I tried. But the three of us came to a different decision." Damon explained.

"Does Elena know that you're here?" Aaron asked trying to get out.

"She's the reason that I'm here! No, scratch that, I'm the reason I'm here."

"What do you want Damon?"

"I want the same thing you want, Aaron. Go back in time, fix the past, get someone back I've lost." Damon said circling Aaron.

"Everyone I've lost was because of you. Who murdered my entire family? YOU!" Aaron said.

"Justifiably." Enzo and Charlie said at the same time.

"Either way, I did it. I tore them apart. I liked the sounds they made because I realized they deserved it. Like you…"

"Elena was too good for you." Aaron said sternly.

"I used to think that. Yeah. I had to be better to deserve her love, or she had to be worse to accept mine… I'd lay in the middle of the road, looking up at the stars and having conversations with people like you, trying to convince myself that killing them was a bad instinct and that sparing their lives was the right thing to do." Damon said circling Aaron. "Elena and I don't work. We're too different. We have too different views of right and wrong. I couldn't change to be better for her, and she _shouldn't_ change to be bad for me. Take Charlie and Enzo over here for instance." Damon said and pointed to the two. "They are perfect for each other. They have the same views and morals, both loyal to their loved ones but with a dark and murderous edge. They don't have to change to make the other one happy; they are simply… themselves, just together."

"So what did you do Damon? Did you kill that voices that tried to change you?" Aaron asked.

"It doesn't matter. The point is, I was conflicted. Right now, in this very moment, I am crystal clear. You see Elena thinks I'm a monster. You know what? She's right." Damon said. "There's just one thing left to decide, me or Charlie?" Damon said and looked at his sister.

Aaron looked confused but Charlie knew what he was talking about.

"Hey, this is your revenge plan. I got mine on the first Dr. Whitmore. Finish it like you always wanted to." Charlie said.

Damon extracted his fangs and his face turned into that of what he was, a monster. Then he sunk his fangs into Aaron Whitmore finally killing the Whitmore line.

Enzo wrapped his arm around Charlie's waist, bringing her closer to his body. "Now that's the Damon Salvatore I remember."

* * *

**Yay! I really hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. There's still a lot more Charzo to come. **

**Please review and let me know what you think. **

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**More Enzo and Charlie time. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. You get to see more of Charlie and Enzo's relationship. **

* * *

**Total Eclipse of the Heart **

* * *

Enzo woke up from the light streaming through the curtains. He was slightly dazed for a moment, still in partial sleep mode… then he realized where he was.

At the Salvatore boarding house… in bed… with Charlie. A giant happy, disbelieving grin spread across his face. This time last month, he was still with the Augustines with no chance of escaping anytime soon. Now, he's waking up, free, happy, and with the love of his life. Things can't get any better than this.

He looked over to Charlie's side of the bed to see she was still asleep, laying on her stomach with her arms tucked underneath her pillow. He took a moment to just watch her. To take in the beauty he had missed for the last 50 plus years.

She looked so peaceful and calm. She looked happy. Even in her sleep she had a slight smile on her face. His ego inflated a little at the thought that _he _had made her happy. Especially after last night…

No words could describe how he felt about it. Amazing, outstanding… mind-blowing, were just a few words that came to mind. He never expected it to feel _that_ good. And it was their first time together. Well, it wasn't like they could be together in the cell. Um, ew. Not only were they held captive, in a cold dark cell, but they were also experimented on day in and day out… kind of a mood killer. Plus, her brother was in the cell next to them. Again, ew.

Of course he thought about what it would be like. Come on, he's a guy, it's inevitable. He'd had dreams of his beautiful blonde, fantasies is probably a more accurate word. But those dreams were nothing compared to how it actually felt. No dream or fantasy could ever live up to the feeling of her in his arms.

It wasn't just the act though. It was the emotion behind it. The overwhelming feeling of love almost suffocated the both of them in the most incredible way. The two truly expressed how much they loved each other. Enzo didn't think he would ever get enough of this gorgeous woman lying next to him.

He lightly traced his fingers over her face. Her rosy cheeks, perfect nose, amazing full lips that fit with his like puzzle pieces. If he could kiss her for the rest of eternity it still wouldn't be enough.

Charlie's lips twitched in a slight smile, in turn, causing Enzo to smile. Her eyes were still closed, still slightly groggy from being asleep, but she could feel Enzo staring at her.

"It's not nice to stare." She mumbled sleepily without opening her eyes.

"I'm not staring, I'm admiring. It's different." Enzo said pulling his fingers through her hair.

"How?" She asked starting to come out of her daze.

"Staring is creepy. Admiring is romantic." Enzo said loving how adorable she looked when waking up.

"Then I guess I can't complain." She said cracking open one eye to stare at the handsome brit. She had to fight to keep them open, his voice so soothing she could fall back asleep.

Enzo watched, still smiling, as her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal her beautiful blue-green orbs still hazy with sleep. He could get use to waking up to this.

Enzo smiled at her sweetly. "Good morning Sweetheart."

Charlie smiled back at him. "Very good morning." She stretched her limbs, back arching slightly, trying to shake away the last remnants of sleep before turning towards him. Enzo admired her form that was covered by the sheet, feeling unbelievably lucky to be able to wake next to her.

Enzo smirked at her greeting and propped up on his elbow. "Very good indeed." He said leaning down to kiss her slowly.

She hummed in appreciation. Enzo started to trail his hand down her side causing her to giggle slightly. Someone's a little ticklish.

"Again? Really? Didn't get enough last night?" Charlie said referring to the very busy night they had.

"I will _never_ get enough of you." Enzo said before pulling her body towards his.

Charlie couldn't agree more so she kissed him back just as eagerly. Unfortunately she had to pull away causing Enzo to groan in complaint and her to laugh at him.

"I'm sorry. But I have to get up." She apologized. She really, _really_ did not want to leave the bed, but she had to.

"No you don't. I see no reason for you to leave this bed for the next month." Enzo insisted trying to kiss her again.

She placed a hand on his toned chest and smiled at his antics. "Yes I do. I'm supposed to help Caroline with this singles dance. A bitter ball, they call it."

Enzo leaned back to lean on his arm again, but kept the other thrown over her waist. "There are several things wrong with what you just told me."

"And what would they be?" She asked messing with the necklace around his neck.

"Well, for starters, you aren't single. You are _very_ much taken, so why would you be going to a _bitter ball?_ There's also the fact that helping her would require you to leave. Now, I have spent over 50 years without you. That's a lot of lost time to make up for. So this Caroline person will just have to find someone else to help." He explained.

Charlie smiled at him. "If you met 'this Caroline person,' you would understand why I can't back out of it. She takes her party planning _very _seriously, and I personally don't want to face her wrath. We have all of eternity to make up for lost time. So today, you are going to hang out with Damon, mend your friendship, braid each other's hair, or whatever you guys do. I'm almost certain he's still passed out downstairs. I am going to set up a party for those without that _special someone_ in their life." She explained. She leaned closer to him; her hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck at looked at him seductively, causing his eyes to darken in lust. "And tonight, you are going to show me just how much you've missed me all these years."

She pecked his lips and before he could react, she hopped out of bed and made her way to the attached bathroom, throwing on Enzo's shirt on the way. Enzo groaned and flopped back on the bed in defeat, muttering "tease" under his breath causing Charlie to laugh from the bathroom.

* * *

"Hey. Sorry about the mess." Damon Salvatore said waking up from his drunken stupor.

Last night he drank himself into oblivion trying to get thoughts of Elena out of his head. Enzo had drank with him for about an hour before he made his way up to Charlie's room to engage in activities no brother ever wants to believe his sister participates in. Luckily for Damon, he had mastered the talent of tuning people out over the years. That, coupled with his drunken haze, caused him to honestly forget they were even here.

"You want to tell me what the hell's going on out in the driveway?" Stefan asked taking in the trashed Salvatore parlor.

"Ah. I let Enzo drive last night. He's a little out of practice, almost ended up in the damn foyer." Damon said standing up to talk to his brother.

"Huh." Stefan muttered staring at Damon.

"Oh. You mean Aaron." Damon said. When Stefan confirmed his suspicions Damon continued. "Yeah. Well, last night, we hunted him down, and I ripped his throat out. Yeah. I just figured it's time to shove the last branch of the Whitmore family tree into the… wood chipper." He said drinking more.

"So Elena breaks up with you, and your first instinct is to go on a killing spree? Could you be any more predictable?" Stefan asked disapprovingly.

"It was my idea," Enzo said when he walked in. "If it makes you feel any better. Enzo, remember?" He offered his hand to Stefan. "We met when-"

"When you were trying to tear Damon's head off. Yeah, I remember." Stefan interrupted him and turned to Damon. "So, what, you guys are old pals again, murder buddies, is that it?"

"Oh, you know how it goes. I mean, I left him for dead, he tried to kill me, we worked things out. Besides both you and I kind of have to tolerate him whether we want to or not remember? He and Charlie kind of have this thing together. Came out of nowhere really." Damon sassed.

"How does Charlie feel about that by the way?" Stefan said turning to Enzo who was smiling at the mention of Charlie. "You kind of tried to kill her brother. I'm not sure she'd take too kindly to that." He tried to dig at Enzo.

Enzo looked a little uncomfortable at the questioning. "I'm not proud of trying to kill Damon, it's not like I didn't think of Charlie. She's actually the reason I was going to do it. Without Damon dead, Dr. Wes wouldn't give me the antidote I needed to survive. No antidote, no escaping, no Charlie. I could only hope she would forgive me over time."

"Lucky for us, it didn't come down to that." Damon said for Enzo. "Now they are together, our sister is happy, and I have successfully ended the Whitmore line. I'd say things are looking pretty good."

Stefan didn't look too happy still, then he noticed a presence missing. "Where is Charlie?"

"A while ago she agreed to help Caroline set up for this lonely hearts thing back at the college. Charlie informed her she wasn't a lonely heart anymore, but Caroline doesn't take no for an answer. Therefore, Enzo needs to find something to do before he goes crazy." Damon informed him.

Stefan looked at Enzo confused to which Enzo answered. "When you lose the love of your life for 50 years and finally get her back, one tends to be on edge when he only gets one day before her crazy and slightly bitchy friend takes her away to go to a singles party."

"So, we are going to keep him busy before he starts following Charlie like a lost puppy." Damon said then turned to Enzo. "I know that you are both so incredibly happy to finally be together again," he said sarcastically, "but keep the PDA and longing looks to a minimum. I may be happy for you but she's still my sister."

"Fair enough. I wouldn't want to piss off the family." Enzo jokes. "A perfect way to keep me busy however, would be to go after Dr. Wes. You haven't happened to of heard from him by any chance have you? Bloke's next on the Augustine hit list, and he's a slippery little devil." He asked Stefan.

Stefan ignored him and turned to Damon. "Is that the plan? Kill off Augustine and then go back to your sadistic, psychotic old self?"

"I happen to like my old sadistic self, Stefan. In fact, I miss that guy. That guy was dumb enough to try and change himself to get a girl." Damon told him. "So get another hobby, brother, because I'm not in the mood to be saved."

"Come on, Damon. You're better than this." Stefan insisted.

"On the contrary, brother. I'm better 'like' this."

* * *

Enzo was in the woods, digging a grave for another Augustine, Dianne, trying to keep his mind off of Charlie which proved to be extremely difficult.

"I see Damon's got you on shallow grave duty." Stefan said approaching him.

"Well, you know, keeping busy. Be a mate. Grab a shovel." He said continuing to dig.

"I'll pass. Buried enough skeletons out here." Stefan said.

Enzo stopped digging, suspicious with Stefan's comment. "I'm sensing a metaphor."

"I think you need to find yourself a new best friend. Damon's in a bad place right now and you're not really making things better. I know you just got out of captivity and you're looking to blow off a boatload of steam, which is fine. Just… do me a favor. Leave my brother out of it." Stefan said.

"And what about Charlie? Surely you don't expect me to just walk away from her right?" Enzo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, about that. I know Charlie is happy you're alive, hell she probably still thinks it's a dream. But I don't think _you_ are what's best for her. Sure, she may love you, thinking that you died and what not, but you're only going to drag her down. As her brother, I can't let that happen. Over time she'll realize that she deserves better." Stefan basically demanded.

"So what do you expect me to do?" Enzo asked angry at Stefan now. "Leave her, break her heart again? Shouldn't her happiness be all that matters? I like to think that I make her happy. That's all I want. If one day, she doesn't want me anymore, then I'll walk away. I'll leave if I ever think that being with her will put her in danger or change her for the worse. But until that happens, or until she tells me to get lost, I'm not leaving."

"I understand you may make her happy. Yes, that's all I want for her, but you aren't what's best for her in the long run. She needs someone to support the better decisions she makes, not the bad ones. I love Charlie, but let's face it, in a lot of ways she is just like Damon; impulsive, vengeful, and murderous when pushed. She doesn't need that guilt on her back. She needs someone to talk her down when she acts like that, to make her realize that killing isn't the only way to solve problems. You aren't that person. You're the type of person who will agree with her and support the bad decisions." Stefan said trying to get through to Enzo.

"And you hate that don't you?" Enzo asked, eyes narrowed. "You hate the fact that she is more like Damon. That she embraces who she is as a vampire. That she doesn't live in a delusion like you do. That she can control herself, but sometimes _chooses _to let go and be a vampire. You two may be twins, but when it comes to being a vampire, you two are complete opposites."

Stefan had nothing to say to that, because it was true.

"You forgot that Charlie and I shared a cell for four years. In those four years, all we had was time to talk. She told me about you; about the Ripper. How you can't control you're hunger for human blood. That even you, a do-gooder, have a dark side. Every vampire does! Every vampire, once in a while, needs to let out that urge, before it erupts and you lose control, like you did. You may look at some of the things Charlie's done as 'bad decisions,' I call them normal. Charlie and you are alike in many ways. You're both caring and considerate and willing to do anything for the ones you love, so I understand why you're giving me the big brother speech. But when it comes to control, and being a vampire, Charlie has you beat. She is the _definition_ of a functional vampire. The ability to live in society, but at the same time not fooling yourself into a false reality. She is a _vampire_. A fate that _you _cursed her to. So I appreciate the advice mate, but the only way I'm leaving, is by Charlie's decision." Enzo said and turned back to digging finished with the conversation.

In the blink of an eye, Stefan grabbed the shovel, knocked Enzo off his feet, and pins him to the ground by the handle of the shovel.

"Why don't you be a mate, huh? Get in my car, start driving, and don't look back. Both Damon and Charlie, are better off without you." Stefan said angrily.

Enzo smile and grabbed the handle of the shovel piercing his own flesh without flinching causing Stefan to stare in disbelief. "You think that hurts? I'm curious, Stefan. What do you think you can possible do to me that hasn't been done a hundred times before? Go on. Give it your best shot."

Stefan pulled the shovel out of Enzo's chest, flipped it over, and placed the sharp edge against Enzo's neck. "What I do to you, Enzo, will be final. You got it? Be sure I never see you again."

Stefan threw the shovel and started walking away thinking about what Enzo said. Stefan had cursed his sister to an eternity of un-death and for that he would never forgive himself, but he couldn't leave his sister behind. But because it was his fault, it was his job to make sure Charlie lived as humanly as possible. The way to do that is to try to keep her from _acting_ like a vampire.

Enzo was right in the fact that sometimes you have to let it out, and yes, in more ways than he'd like to admit she is just like Damon. But he would do everything in his power to make sure that Charlie found someone who supported the human side of what they are; and that person isn't Enzo.

When he found out that Charlie was in love with Enzo, and that he was alive, he couldn't be happier for his sister. That she would finally find happiness in the world. Then he found out the kind of person that Enzo was and wondered what she saw in him. Charlie deserved the best, and Enzo is not, and will never be, the best for his sister.

* * *

"Alright ladies, I have accessories." Charlie announced happily walking into her old dorm room where Caroline and Elena/Katherine were.

Katherine stared at Charlie in confusion whereas Caroline had a smirk on her face.

"What?" Charlie asked noticing the weird looks on her friend's faces.

"What's got you in such an up-beat mood?" Katherine asked.

"Charlie got laid!" Caroline exclaimed causing Charlie to laugh and Katherine to grow even more confused.

Caroline was filled in on her relationship with Enzo, so she knew that was the reason behind the smile that graced her friend's face. Elena knew that Enzo was alive, but Katherine had no clue what was going on with the Salvatore sister.

"The love my life, who I thought was dead, is alive and free. I may have been dragged here against my will, but I couldn't be happier right now." Charlie said.

"And…" Caroline trailed off smiling at her friend suggestively.

"Aaanndd you're not getting any details." She said unable to wipe the happy smile from her face.

Caroline frowned jokingly but ran over and hugged her friend. "I'm so happy for you. At least one of us gets our Romeo. I know you want to be with him right now, but we haven't partied together in a _long_ time."

"I know. I have the rest of eternity to spend with him. I can take one day out for my gal pals. I have a few more things to pick up so I'll be back. Don't have too much fun without me." Charlie said and practically skipped out of the room.

Caroline turned to Katherine with a smile. "Oh, I'm so glad she's happy again. I don't think I've ever seen that much joy in her eyes. Enzo brought back a light to her that she's been missing for a while."

Before Katherine could answer she got a phone call from Stefan about the same subject, leaving her with one question.

Who the hell is Enzo?

* * *

Caroline and Charlie were dancing together and having a good time. It was nice to finally let go and party together again. It'd been a long time since they had even hung out. If Elena and Bonnie were there it would be just like old times. But Bonnie was nowhere to be found and Elena seemed to migrate towards Stefan the entire night.

Charlie spotted her twin across the room with a serious expression on his face. She pushed Caroline in his direction, trying to get Caroline and Stefan to dance together. What? She shipped Steroline.

She sent Caroline over to her brother while she made her way towards the drinks. She really was having fun with Caroline. The two used to be the wild partiers of the group and that hasn't happened lately.

She was reminiscing about past parties when she felt strong hands slip around her waist. She jumped in surprise and turned around, ready to rip their hands off when she came face to face with an extremely smug Enzo.

"Well, hello there. What's a gorgeous thing like you doing at a singles party?" Enzo asked her jokingly resting his hands on her lower back.

Charlie smiled playing along. "Excuse me. I have a boyfriend, and I don't think he'd appreciate it if he saw you touching me."

"I bet I could take him." Enzo said pulling her closer.

"Hmm, I don't know. He's kind of a bad ass." Charlie joked.

The two dropped the charade and Enzo leaned down to press his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. When they pulled away Charlie asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be rekindling your bromance with Damon?"

Enzo smiled at her. "I'm actually here for Damon. We're going after Dr. Wes and we can't find him"

Charlie pouted playfully. "Aww, he's kind of cute though." Enzo's eyes darkened in jealousy and Charlie laughed. "Easy boy, you know you're the only one for me."

"And don't you forget it." Enzo said and captured her lips again as if to prove it.

"So what's up? Why are you guys looking here?"

"Damon had me kidnap Jeremy to give Bonnie motivation to work with some witch or something like that. To be honest I wasn't paying much attention. But right now Jeremy's knocked out in the other room until we get the location of Dr. Wes." Enzo explained.

Charlie sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay. I know you've been in a cell and you want to go out and have fun. I don't blame you, hell I'll even join you. But when Damon's in one of his moods, he tends to think irrationally and he does reckless stuff, like threatening loved ones. Now I'm all for revenge, but find a different way to do it. Friends and family, off-limits, no exceptions." She told him seriously.

When Damon feels hurt or gets moody, he tends to do things without thinking of the consequences, such as threatening to kill the girl he love's brother. Not smart.

"I'm sorry Sweetheart. I didn't know you were friends. Damon said that was our way to find Wes. That's what I get for listening to him." Enzo mocked.

"I know, we'll have to go over the off-limits list. So why don't you point me in the right direction and I'll stop Damon from ruining any future chances he has with Elena. We'll find the witch, do the locator spell, and then you and Damon can go after Wes."

Enzo pouted at her. "You aren't going to help bruise his face a bit?"

"It's such a pretty face." Charlie joked causing him to get that jealous look again, which in turn, caused Charlie to laugh. "Come on hot stuff. We got a Dr. to find."

* * *

Charlie and Enzo walked into the room that Jeremy was passed out in. Elena/Katherine, was crouched over Jeremy's body pretending to be the concerned sister. Stefan looked up when the two walked in. Charlie went over to check on Jeremy.

Stefan, knowing Enzo was the cause, flashed to Enzo and pinned him to the wall.

"You should've left when I told you to." Stefan threatened.

Enzo switched positions, pinning Stefan to the wall. "Did I give you the impression that I was taking orders from you? My bad."

Stefan head-butts Enzo and throws him across the room.

Charlie intervened, stepping between the two. "Knock it off."

Damon walked into the room then. "You missed all the fun."

"The spell worked. Wes is in Richmond." Damon explains.

"Awesome. I'll drive." Charlie says leading Enzo out of the room.

She lets Enzo pass her and she stops when she hears Stefan call to Damon.

"Hey, Damon. Don't bother coming back." Stefan says.

Hurt and pain cross Damon's pace before he masks his emotions again. "I wasn't planning on it." He says and walks out of the room.

Charlie looks at her twin disappointed. "He's your brother. And when he needs you the most you send him away." Charlie shook her head and turned around to leave.

"Charlie…" Stefan tried to stop her but she kept walking away.

Her family was falling apart again.

* * *

The group made their way towards the lab where Bonnie spell said Wes was. Charlie was still upset about what had happened between her brothers. It just seemed like every time they were in a good place, something happens and they're torn apart again.

"So, what do you say? Paper, scissors, stone for who gets to give Dr. Frankenstein his fatal blow?" Enzo asked Damon. Enzo reached back to Charlie and intertwined his fingers with hers in comfort. He knew she was upset by what happened with her brothers and he wanted her to know he was there.

"Nah. He's all yours." Damon said. To be honest, Enzo was happy he would get to kill him. Not only did this guy experiment on him, but Charlie thought he was cute too. It's a win-win.

"So what are you gonna do? Leave?" Charlie asked Damon.

"I was only there for Elena and you. Elena and I broke up and you have Enzo again so I assume you're leaving. No reason to go back." Damon explained.

"What about Stefan?"

"You saw his face. I know that look. He's done with me, too."

Before Charlie could try to convince him to go back home, they had entered the lab which held, surprise, chanting travelers.

"Evhas elebuk estupay. Evhas elebuk estupay." They kept chanting.

"And you are?" Damon asked the group.

"My backup." Dr. Wes emerges from behind them.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Damon says.

The three vampires fall to the ground in pain. Enzo asks, "What is this? Agh! More witches?"

"Close. Travelers." Damon replies through the pain.

Wes takes out a syringe and injects it into Damon's neck. "Good luck making new friends, Damon."

The three pass out before getting a chance to stop them.

* * *

The three wake up in the lab. The travelers and Wes long gone.

"What-what did he stick you with?" Enzo asked him.

"I don't know." Damon replies.

"Alright. Come on." Charlie helps her brother to his feet.

"What I can tell you, if he stuck me with that cannibal vampire poison, we might have a little problem."

"What kind of problem?" Enzo asked confused.

"Wes has this sick little scheme to destroy vampires by making them feed on each other." Damon explained.

They hear someone moving around in struggle in the other room so they make their way towards to noise. They come across the vampire, Joey, that Wes had turned earlier.

"Can you get me out of here?" The newbie vampire asked them. "I don't want to be here."

The three glance at each other before Damon decided to help him. He approached Joey and started to undo the chains.

"Thanks. I owe you one." Veins suddenly start to appear on Damon's face, fangs elongating, and eyes turning red with the urge to feed.

"What's happening to you?" Joey asked.

"I'm going to go ahead and say 'karma.' Karma is happening to me." Damon attacks Joey and starts feeding on him.

"Damon! Damon, stop!" Charlie yells.

Damon feeds until he tears the head of the new vampire off. He turns around to face Enzo and Charlie.

Enzo pushes Charlie behind him in case Damon loses control again. "Okay. I can see how this might be a problem…"

* * *

**Please review! Thanks again so much for reading! :)**


	9. No Exit

**Hey everyone! I know I've been updating, basically daily for this story so, sorry about the short delay. I've had a very busy weekend. Also the next chapter probably won't be out for another day or two, it all depends on if I can find the time to write. But anyway, thanks for sticking with this story and I'm so glad you like it. And if you don't, I still love you. Haha. :) **

* * *

**No Exit **

* * *

In a secluded farmhouse outside of town, Damon, Enzo, and Charlie had found a lone man and turned him into a vampire for Damon to feed off of. Hey, it's better than his best friend and sister right?

Charlie was sitting on the couch, Damon stood in the entryway to the living room, and Enzo, with blood on his hands, picked up a picture of the man and his wife that was sitting on the side table.

"You think the fell in love milking cows?" Enzo asked the group.

"Probably. Then she became one. So he drank himself into oblivion – she cheated with the pastor." Damon answered.

"Pharmacist." Charlie corrected. "She cheated with pharmacist."

"What makes you say that?" Enzo asked her, setting the picture back down.

"I just have a feeling."

"Care to make a bet?" Damon asked her.

"Deal. Twenty bucks?" Charlie asked and Damon nods in agreement.

"You guys don't have very good manners. It's impolite to make bets against our host." Enzo chides them.

"I doubt he'll mind!" Damon says and they look to the guy in the picture lying dead on the floor.

"Alright cranky." Enzo mocks him. "It's been almost 8 hours since you last fed. So I suppose that's about right."

"Are you timing me?" Damon asks in mock offense.

"You feed on vampires now. We are vampires." He gestures to himself and his girlfriend. "The only way to ensure our safety is to know how long you can last until your next fix."

"Or, you can just leave." Damon offers.

"I'm not leaving you Damon." Charlie says and stands up from the couch.

"Besides, if you hadn't come with me to kill Doctor Wes, he wouldn't have stuck you with that nasty virus." Enzo defends.

The dead man on the floor sits up with a gasp of air.

"Ahh. Just in time." Enzo states.

"What did you do? What's happening?" The man asks confused.

"You died, but luckily you had my blood in your system, so when you drink this," Enzo holds up a blood bag, "You'll feel much better."

Enzo shoved the bag into the guy's mouth and he drank greedily.

"Good boy." Damon said.

"What was that?" The newly turned vampire asks.

"That was blood. You're a vampire, congratulations!" Enzo mocks.

"I'm a what?"

"I know, I know. It's overwhelming and Damon will explain more in a bit, but before he does, settle a bet. You're wife, where is she?" Enzo asks and threads his arm around Charlie's waist pulling her to him.

"Wait… I drink blood now?" He asks confused.

"Again, we'll explain everything. Where's your wife?" Enzo pushes.

"She's gone… she left me years ago." He explains.

"Pastor?" Damon asks. "It was the pastor right?"

"Pharmacist." The guys corrects.

"Yes!" Charlie exclaims and high fives Enzo while Damon pouts. "You owe me twenty bucks." She tells her brother. "But don't pout too much. You get a meal out of it." She says and pushes the guy towards Damon who rips into his neck hungrily.

Enzo looks over at Charlie and kisses her on the cheek. "Good job sweetheart."

"I try." She smiles. "All this blood is making me thirsty. I'll be back. Keep him in line." She gestures to Damon and puts her coat on.

"Don't be too long. Where leaving here soon." Enzo says and walks her to the door.

"Sweet. I haven't been to New York in a while." She hints with a sly smile.

"New York it is." Enzo agrees. When they reach the door he pulls Charlie closer and gives her a long loving kiss, Damon completely oblivious to the PDA, too caught up in his meal. "I love you." Enzo says sweetly when they pull away.

"I love you too." Charlie smiles. "Please try to stay out of trouble." She says and backs out the house.

"No promises gorgeous." He smirks and watches as she flashes away.

He turns back just in time to see the head of Damon's newest victim pop off. "Well, how about that."

* * *

"I didn't realize you liked to play with _dolls._" Enzo mocks to Damon who is setting his headless victim in a chair.

"Well, my brother likes to make a big show; set them up, put their heads back on and pretend like it didn't happen. I, on the other hand, couldn't give a crap." Damon says and tosses the head on the body's lap.

"Well, we've got 8 hours until you need to feed again. Charlie wants to go to New York, so we should head out soon."

"Where is Charlie?" Damon said, noticing her absence now that he's out of his blood induced block out.

"She went to catch a meal real quick. Come on. We'll wait for her outside." Enzo says and starts to put his jacket on then hears some weird chanting in a different language. "What is that?"

"It's the obnoxious theme song of the travelers." Damon says. He goes to walk out of the house and gets blocked by an invisible boundary. "Ahh. No!"

Wes steps in front of Damon, safe on the other side of the barrier. "As a man of science, I always considered magic a cheat. Turns out, I cheat. How's the appetite?"

"Funny you should ask, I was just craving a blonde." Damon threatens.

"You're my patient 0, Damon. I couldn't let you ride off into the sunset without a few tests." Wes explains.

"A few tests…" Enzo mutter behind him.

"Well, one test. Now that you're trapped with only one source of food, how long can you go before you feed on your best friend?" Wes says and then walks away with the travelers following like the little bitches they are.

It's a good thing Charlie got out while she could.

* * *

Enzo waited at the door for Charlie to come back. He didn't want her to walk in and not be able to walk out. Damon was still trying to leave, but there was no getting out. He was throwing things and smashing the windows to see if he could get out but… nothing.

"Give it up mate. Those travelers sealed this whole place up tight." Enzo said chewing on a toothpick.

"The spell can't last forever." Damon says and slides down to the floor.

"It doesn't need to. Wes only needs it to last 8 hours. Remember? Then he can come back inside and autopsy my mangled corpse."

"You're pretty zen about all this." Damon comments.

"Did you forget everything I taught you in that cell? Calmer heads will always prevail."

"Always the soldier." Damon mutters under his breath.

"Charlie will be back soon. We'll get her to get a witchto lift the spell. Problem solved." Enzo explained.

"What problem?" Charlie asked stepping up to the steps of the porch.

"Charlie! Hey you can't come in. Wes had his lovely group of travelers lock me in here with Damon." Enzo said to his girlfriend. Damon walked up next to Enzo to see his sister.

"What?" Charlie asked confused.

"Apparently, I'm patient 0." Damon explained. "He wants to see how long I can last before I feed on Enzo."

"So we need you to go and find a witch to lift the spell and get us out of here." Enzo told her.

"Alright. Yeah, I'll do that." Charlie said with growing frustration. "But first I'll find someone and turn them. Then I'll bring them here for Damon. It'll give us a little more time."

Enzo looked at his girlfriend admirably with a smirk. "Always the smart one aren't you Sweetheart?"

Charlie smirked back at him, but before she could reply, an unknown force pulled her into the house through the barrier sealing her in. Charlie whipped around to see what was going on.

Wes and a traveler walked up onto the porch. The traveler did some spell that pushed her into the house.

"This just keeps getting better. Not only do you have to resist feeding from your best friend," Wes said to Damon then looked at Charlie. "But you also have to fight the urge to not kill your sister. I wonder how long you'll last?"

All three vampires looked murderously towards the Dr.

"I have to say Charlie, I am disappointed you're a vampire. You would have been a great addition to the Augustine organization." Wes commented.

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Charlie asked sarcastically. "I was already part of the organization. Just on the other side of the scalpel."

"What?" Wes asked confused.

"I was the first female Augustine vampire." Charlie told the doctor.

"20152-1." Wes said fondly. "I've read about you. I always wondered what the first female Augustine was like. And now I know. The journals didn't do you justice. Beauty and brains. It's a shame that was wasted on a vampire." He said glancing her up and down.

Enzo growled at the Dr. for checking out his girlfriend causing the Dr. to look over surprised.

"Did I hit a nerve? Oops, didn't realize you two were together. It's a good thing you'll be dead before the spell is lifted, otherwise I'd be a little afraid. You'd kill me just for looking at your girl wouldn't you?" Wes taunts Enzo.

Enzo just growls again in response. Charlie walks slowly up to the barrier, getting as close as possible to the barrier. Dr. Wes stays where he is though. The two are practically nose to nose, Wes smirking slightly and Charlie smirking right back. Damon and Enzo watch on, confused as to what Charlie is doing.

"Trust me. When this spell is lifted, and all three of us are alive," Charlie says before veins start to appear and her fangs elongate, "Damon and Enzo will be the least of your worries." She threatens.

Dr. Wes clears his throat and backs up, clearly intimidated by Charlie. "Right. Well, have fun you three." He says and practically flees with the traveler.

Damon turns around, knocks over a table and stomps into the other room. Charlie pulls her jacket off and throws it angrily on the couch before running her fingers through her hair in frustration. But, Enzo is just standing there staring at her.

When she notices Enzo's gaze she asks, "What?"

Enzo doesn't say anything. He simply walks up to her, pulls her to him by her waist, and slants his mouth over hers in a heated kiss. Charlie responds instantly and threads her fingers through his hair. The pair, forgetting where they are, get caught up in each other. Enzo flashes her to the wall and presses his hips into hers, causing the two to moan quietly into the other's mouth. Enzo breaks the kiss and places his forehead against hers, both breathing heavily trying to gain their composure.

"What was that for?" Charlie asked.

Enzo pulls back a bit to look into her eyes and laces his fingers with hers on one hand while the other rests on her hip, her un-laced hand on his chest. "I know we aren't in the best situation and we are under the constant threat of your brother losing control and feeding on us till our heads pop off, but seeing you threaten Dr. Wes like that and your vampire face coming out… it was so hot."

Charlie bites her lower lip playfully drawing Enzo's attention to her lips.

"Really? Well I must say, the little growl you did was quite a turn on too."

Enzo growls again in response and bring his thumb up to her lower lip pulling it from between her teeth. "You're gonna have to stop doing that beautiful. I won't be responsible for my actions if you don't."

Charlie laughs at him and brings her arms around his neck in a simple hug. They really needed to cool down. Not only were they in some serious potential danger, but Damon was in the next room. Damn it.

Enzo returns the hug and burrows his head into her neck. It's simple things like that; a hug or a loving look from her that bring him the most happiness. It's things like that, that remind him of why he was holding on for so long while captured. Just being with her in the end was worth everything that he went through, and he'd do it again as long as it meant being with her.

* * *

"You know you do have people we can call," Enzo says from his spot in the chair. "Like your brother or your ex. They can find Wes and threaten him, or maim him. Anything that doesn't involve your fangs on our necks."

Damon, who is sitting against the wall, looks over to Charlie who is pacing angrily back and forth. "My brother told me to leave and not come back. I'm not calling him."

"So our lives aren't worth your pride?" Enzo asked him.

"They won't come." Damon said confidently.

"Yes they will. Especially when Stefan finds out that Charlie is stuck here too. But if they come here, you might hurt them… us on the other hand…" Enzo said.

"I'm not going to feed on you. EITHER of you. I'll find another way." Damon said ending the conversation.

Enzo and Charlie share a look with each other like, 'what are we going to do?'

* * *

Charlie and Enzo were in the kitchen, thinking about what to do. Damon still hadn't given up his pride to call Stefan or Elena and Charlie was about to go behind his back to do it. She knew Damon wouldn't _want_ to feed on either of them, but with the virus in his system who knew what he would do.

Enzo was leaning against the counter while Charlie was pacing, again.

"What are we going to do Enzo?" Charlie asked frustrated. "We can't just wait here and hope that he can control it."

"We're gonna have to tie him down. I'm sure we can find something around here. And then once we do, you can call Stefan and Elena, and Damon won't be able to do anything about it." Enzo said like he had it all figured out.

"I don't know…" Charlie said not feeling good about this.

"Hey. Come here." Enzo said. He grabbed Charlie by the waist and set her on the counter, stepping between her legs and placing his hands on her thighs. "Listen to me, we're going to be okay. Stefan will find a witch to lift the spell and we'll get out and find a cure for Damon. But, if something goes wrong, I want you to get as far away from Damon as you possibly can and I'll hold him off. I know Damon doesn't want to feed on you but who knows what could happen."

Charlie shakes her head fervently. "No. No, I'm not just going to leave you. He could kill you Enzo."

"It doesn't matter. So long as you're safe I'll die a million times over. You just need to get away from Damon." Enzo argues.

Charlie looks down, eyes clouding over. "I can't lose you again."

"Sweetheart." Enzo mutters, broken at seeing her tears. He cups her face in his hands and says, "We will get out of here. I promise. Both you and me are going to make it out of here alive. But worst case scenario and something goes wrong, I need to know you're safe. So _promise_ me, you will get away if Damon loses control. Please?"

It takes Charlie a minute to answer before she slightly nods her head yes and says. "I promise."

Enzo smiles that dazzling smile at her and says 'good' before placing a sweet kiss on her lips, making Charlie smile in return.

"Now come on Gorgeous." Enzo said and pulled her off the counter. "Let's see what we can find around this farmhouse to keep your brother in control."

* * *

"Towing chains, farmer's best friend. In about an hour, ours. Take a seat." Enzo said holding chains in his hands and gesturing for Damon to sit down.

"They're not gonna let us out of here until I kill one of you, or you kill me." Damon said sitting down.

"Don't be dramatic. We'll work something out." Enzo said tying him down.

"There's no cure. Not for this." Damon said.

"Then we'll find one!" Charlie said speaking up, tired of hearing her brother practically giving up. "You've given it all of two days! That's the problem with you Damon, you run. You did it to Enzo, you did it to Elena…"

"Because when I stay, I destroy things." Damon said.

Enzo had finished tying the chains around Damon, and he pinched the metal together with a wrench in hopes of keeping him put. Charlie walked in front of her brother and crouched down to be eye level with him.

"For over a century, I have stuck by you; when you had no one else, when you and Stefan couldn't even say each other's _names_, when you found new hope that Katherine was still alive and in the tomb, even when I thought you left the love of my life to die in a fire. You've done _a lot_ of terrible things Damon. But there are people who would stick by you. The thing is you don't let them. You run before giving them the chance to prove to you that you're worth the trouble. Hell, if I wasn't so stubborn, you and I wouldn't be on speaking terms." Charlie told her brother completely forgetting that Enzo was in the room, trying to get through his thick skull.

"Do you remember, in 1965, seven years after we escaped Augustine, I had to hunt you down and demand you to speak to me again. But you didn't want to. You thought you had destroyed me emotionally by killing Enzo and you didn't want to hurt me anymore. I won't lie I _did _hate you Damon. You took away the best thing that had happened to me since we'd been turned. But you're my brother Damon, you've always protected me when I had no one else, because that's what families do. And it's _because_ we're family that I forgave you. I had already lost Enzo. I didn't want to lose you too."

Damon's eyes glazed over at hearing his sister's heart felt words. He never thought that she truly forgave him for what he did. It turns out she did. But not everyone was as forgiving as Charlie is.

"You heard what Stefan said. He didn't want me to come back." Damon told her.

"Because he's hurt. He just needs time to come to his senses until he realizes that he needs his brother too. You remember what he told us, that he basically forced you to feed and turned me, because he needed his family. And when he realizes how stupid it was to push you away he'll come back. That's what we do. Family forever Damon. We made that promise when we were cursed to this life. Right now, we don't have any options left. Out of everyone, if Stefan knows that you and I are in danger, he'll pull through for us. He'll find a way to get us out, and find a cure. You just have to fight for it."

"There's always something better on the other side of misery. You just have to fight for it." Damon said remembering the many times he heard those words from his sister.

Charlie smiled. "Words from a wise girl." Charlie said, and patted the side of her brother's face before standing up straight. "Now, I know you Damon. You don't want to ask Stefan for help because you're hurt that he sent you away. I however, don't give a damn about your pride at this moment." Charlie pulled out her phone and started dialing Stefan.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Damon said starting to struggle against the chains.

"Saving all of our asses." Enzo said coming out of his thoughts. The things Charlie said to Damon proved to Enzo that she was wise beyond her years. Enzo never knew she hated her brother for what happened. He knew she may not have been his biggest fan, but hate is a strong word. Charlie's hatred toward Damon also proved just how much Charlie loved Enzo, not that he ever doubted her. He didn't blame her for forgiving him though, he always hoped she did, because Damon did what was best for her. Enzo didn't like that Damon had left him to die, but he did it to save Charlie, and for that Enzo couldn't be mad.

"Charlie?" Elena/Katherine asked when she answered the phone.

"Well, hello 'Stefan.' You're sounding particularly feminine today." Charlie said back causing Enzo to smirk.

"What's up?" Katherine asked. Although she just wanted to hang up on her, she was still Stefan's sister and Stefan loved her, therefore, Katherine had to pretend to like her.

"In a bit of trouble, thanks for asking. You see, Dr. Wes infected Damon with the virus that makes him crave vampire blood. Long story short, we're stuck in a farmhouse outside of town and Dr. Wes won't let us go until he feeds on one of us until our heads pop off in a grotesque but slightly amusing fashion." Charlie said.

"Okay. What do you need us to do?" Katherine asked pretending to be worried.

"Well, I'd tell you to bring him a snack, but I don't think Stefan would be okay with that. So figure out a way to get us out and get over here as fast as you can."

"What happens if he feeds on you Charlie? Stefan would never forgive him for it." Katherine asked in her fake worry voice.

"If he does I have orders to kill him." Enzo said, knowing Katherine could hear him.

"But it's not going to come to that, because you guys are going to find a way to get us out." Charlie said determined.

"Alright yeah, don't worry we'll get there as soon as we can. Just text the address to my phone, and we'll leave right away." Katherine said.

"Pretend I asked you yesterday." Charlie said and hung up the phone.

* * *

Damon was struggling more against his restraints, trying to fight the urge to feed. He didn't want to hurt either of them so if they had any hope, Stefan and Elena needed to get here, fast.

"It'll be alright, mate. They'll come and we'll sort something out." Enzo tried to calm his friend. He was standing next to Charlie, rubbing her back soothingly, seeing her stressed face.

"Or they'll come and I'll feed on them." Damon said.

"Those are also options. As long as we live, I'm good." Enzo said. Charlie lightly hit him in the stomach, scolding him.

"Joking!" Enzo redeemed. "Kind of."

Suddenly, Enzo is shot in the shoulder, causing him to jump away from Charlie and all three vampires to look towards the door to see none other than Wes and his merry band of bitches.

"If you were aiming for my heart, you missed." Enzo said angrily.

"Don't worry, I wasn't. The chains were a good idea. Now, I can see exactly how strong he becomes when enraged."

Everyone looked to Damon to see him start bending the chains in his quest to get to the blood, the virus taking control of his better instincts.

"Conclusion: very strong." Wes said impressed.

Damon charges at Enzo, but Enzo throws him across the room before he can chomp into his neck.

"Boy, do I miss that indestructible Augustine cage right about now. Charlie, leave." Enzo told Charlie sternly.

"No." Charlie said back.

"Charlie, now!" Enzo was able to get out before Damon latched onto his neck.

Charlie tried to rush over to break Damon's neck to stop him from feeding, but when she tried to move she couldn't. She looked over towards Wes and saw a traveler next to him, chanting with her hand held out keeping her frozen in place.

"Sorry. Can't have you interfering." Wes apologized without sincerity.

"Damon, stop! Damon, stop! STOP!" Enzo said trying to push Damon off of him.

"Damon, please! Stop!" Charlie yelled to her brother, watching in horror at the scene before her.

Suddenly, Damon started choking on Enzo's blood forcing him to break away in order to spit it out.

"What did you do to him?!" Charlie yelled to Wes.

"My friends here raised the acidity in Enzo's blood. There must be some witchy explanation for it, but Damon's basically drinking hydrochloric acid. I suggest you two leave before the spell wears off." Wes explains.

"And go where… with you?" Enzo asked.

"There's one more thing you two can help me with. Then I'll let you go for good. The other option is to stay in here with your cannibal friend and see how long you last." Wes said.

Charlie and Enzo looked over to Damon, Charlie able to move again. Enzo looked at Charlie and said, "You need to get out of here Charlie."

"I can't just leave him." Charlie said.

"Go Charlie." Damon said, still spitting up blood. "I tried to kill Enzo, I'll try to kill you too. I can't do that. You need to leave now. Both of you." He was able to get out through the pain. Charlie needed to leave while she could before Damon did something he'd really regret.

Charlie and Enzo looked at each other, not wanting to leave Damon. But Enzo needed to get Charlie to safety, and if that meant leaving Damon to who knows what then he'd do it.

"Come on." Enzo said and grabbed Charlie's hand pulling her out the door.

Charlie looked back to Damon one more time with pain in her eyes. She hated the thought of leaving her brother, not knowing what's going to happen to him.

"Go, Charlie." Damon said one last time.

"We'll find him later sweetheart, I promise." Enzo whispered in her ear, too quietly for the travelers or Wes to hear.

With one last look, Charlie and Enzo walked out the house, hand in hand. Unknowing of what they were walking into.

* * *

Damon woke up, chained to the wall, in the cellar under the Salvatore boarding house.

"Ahh. I know you can't help yourself, but if you bring home a rabid animal, you're gonna get bit." Damon said to Stefan, trying to sit up despite his restraints.

"I never should've told you to leave." Stefan admitted.

"You know, Charlie told me you'd say that. That you'd come to your senses and realize you made a mistake. But what she doesn't know, is that I'm going to kill you; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point, I'm going to rip open your throat and you're going to die." Damon threatened Stefan.

"Ah. Come on, Damon. You think I'm afraid of a ripper? Who do you think invented the word? We're gonna find a way to help you, don't you worry. But now that we have you under control, there's some things I need to know." Stefan said to his brother.

"And what would those 'things' be saint Stefan?" Damon asked sarcastically.

"Where's Charlie? She's the one who called Elena but when we got there, she was nowhere to be found. Now, knowing that Wes infected you with the virus and Charlie is missing, that makes me worry even more than I usually would." Stefan said.

Damon sobered up a little at hearing this. "Wes came to the house, had some travelers with him. He shot Enzo in order to provoke me into feeding off of him. The travelers did some vu-du stuff and stopped me from feeding. He said something about how he could use some help from Enzo and Charlie, then he'd set them free for good. But I never heard exactly what he was gonna use them for."

Stefan froze thinking about what could be happening to his baby sister. "Damon, this guy _tortured _vampires. How could you let her leave?"

Damon glared angrily at his brother. "What did you want me to do Stefan? It was either she leaves with Wes or she stayed and I attacked her until she died. Which was the better option?"

The two were silent for a few minutes, thinking about what happened.

"Okay," Damon spoke up. "We know she's with Enzo. He'll die before he lets anything happen to her. We know that much."

Stefan sighed. "You're right. I may not like the guy, but I know that he'll protect her."

"I just hope she's okay." Damon muttered. As if on cue, Stefan's phone rang with a call from Charlie.

"Charlie?!" Stefan answered quickly and put her on speaker phone.

"Stefan, hey." Charlie muttered into the phone. She didn't sound like she's was in pain, she wasn't whispering, it didn't sound like she was running, but she did sound anxious. "Did you find Damon?"

"Yeah. We've got him chained up at the house. Are you okay? Where are you?" Stefan asked. Damon listened intently to his sister's answer.

"I can't tell you. I just called to let you know I'm okay and I'm coming home soon." Charlie calmed her brothers.

"What happened? Charlie tell me where you are and I'll come get you." Stefan pushed.

"Stefan, I'm fine. I promise. I'll be home in a few days. There are some things I have to wait for first. I just had to let you know so you wouldn't worry." She assured.

"What are you talking about? Where's Enzo?" Damon asked. "What did Wes want?"

It took Charlie a moment to answer. "He wanted a vampire to test an experiment on. I don't know what it is or what's really going on. He only needed one of us… Enzo volunteered. Wes said as soon as he's done he'll let us go. He looked like he meant it."

"Maybe the Augustine Society hit a bit of a rough streak." Damon said.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Charlie spoke up again. "I have to go. Just know that I'm okay. I love you guys." She said and hung up.

Stefan and Damon didn't say anything for a few moments, thinking about what their sister said.

Damon looked to Stefan and said, "I told you. He'd die before he let something hurt her."

Stefan still didn't like the thought of his sister being with Enzo. He didn't really like Enzo period. But at least now he knew he could definitely count on Enzo to keep her safe.

* * *

Charlie was sitting in the same cell she spent four years of captivity in. She had just gotten off of the phone with her brother's and was waiting for Enzo to be brought back.

As soon as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, she heard the basement door opening. In the past, after experimentation, they were _dragged_ back to the cells. This time however, Enzo was simply walking back to the cell.

Charlie stood up when Wes opened the cell and Enzo walked in. Charlie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Wes closed the door and addressed the two vampires. "Thank you, for your co-operation. You won't be here very long. As soon as I get what I need, you're free to go." He said and left.

Charlie looked over to Enzo to see him leaning against the cell wall nonchalantly and smirking at her.

"What the hell?" Charlie asked surprised.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" He said and pushed off the wall approaching her.

"What's going on? I thought Wes was experimenting on you?" Charlie said looking him over for any abrasions.

"Oh he did." He said and lifted up his shirt to reveal a few healing cuts along his torso. "Just a few pokes and prods, nothing I haven't endured a thousand times before."

Charlie wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug with him snaking his arms around her waist to bring her tightly against him.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Charlie whispered to him. "I could've done that you know. You've been through enough here. Let me protect you too."

"Nothing to worry about gorgeous. I'd do it again if I had to. As long as you're safe. You know, I could've killed the doctor for the way he looked at you earlier, but I figured co-operating was our best chance at getting out of here." He said and pulled back to look at her.

Charlie laughed at his jealous behavior. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"He said he needed one of us in order to find a cure for werewolf venom."

"So why are we still here?" Charlie asked.

"He said if the test works, he'll let us go tomorrow." Enzo told her.

The two sat down against the wall, Charlie in Enzo's lap, and they fell into comfortable silence, looking around the same cell they once shared all those years ago.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" Enzo whispered into her ear.

"A lot of memories. Some terrible ones…" She said and turned to face him, "and one amazing one."

"And what would that be Sweetheart?" Enzo asked, although he knew the answer.

"Despite everything that happened while we were here, I'd do it all again, if it meant finding you." Charlie said sincerely.

Enzo leaned forward and locked his lips with hers before pulling away again to whisper, "As would I." before kissing her again.

* * *

**Please review! I love hearing what you guys think! :)**


	10. While You Were SleepingRescue Me

**Hey readers! Here's the next chapter. I combined the next two episodes in order to make a longer chapter instead of two short ones. Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

**While You Were Sleeping **

* * *

"…obtained from Nadia Petrova's blood." Dr. Wes' voice spreads through the abandoned lab from the voice recorder.

"Oh my god." Caroline mutters from hearing that Elena was infected with werewolf venom.

"So werewolves are real? I always thought that was, you know, a joke." Enzo said startling Caroline causing her to whip around.

Caroline stares on confused at the stranger, unaware of his intentions.

"Enzo. Don't be an ass." Charlie says coming up behind him.

"Charlie?" Caroline exclaims racing over to the girl and throwing her arms around her. "Where have you been? You just disappeared after the bitter ball."

Charlie laughs and hugs her back. "Ran into some… complications." She said not really knowing how else to describe it. "This is Enzo." She introduced her boyfriend to her friend.

Recognition crosses Caroline's face and she smirks over at Charlie.

"_The_ Enzo." Caroline taunts.

"No the other one." Enzo jokes.

"Hush." Charlie fake scolds. "So, are you here for the reason I think you are?"

"Well, that depends on why Enzo is here?" Caroline said. After she had heard about the things Enzo had done, she wondered what Charlie saw in him. And her being Caroline, judges at first sight, or hear?

"The same reason you are." Enzo answered. "I want this vampire-feeding virus out of our lives."

"Why? You want your killing buddy back?" Caroline said with hostility causing Charlie to lightly roll her eyes at her friends judgy and totally expected behavior.

"Damon mentioned you get a little judgy." Enzo commented.

Charlie smirks at her friend remembering the other vital piece of information Damon told her. "He also said that you have a thing for accents too?"

Caroline looked down shyly at what Charlie was implying.

"Hey, I don't blame you. Accents are hot." She said glancing at Enzo who was smirking at her. "I'm more hurt at the fact that you didn't tell me. I mean, I had to find out from my _brother_."

Caroline winced at her accusing tone. "I know. I was going to tell you. I just never found the right time."

"No matter. Water under the bridge. But next time you hook up with an immortal hybrid I want to know about it. Anyway, we all know we're here for the same thing. The antidote." Charlie said and glanced at Enzo again. "And we can get it."

* * *

"Please tell me that's some good news." Elena said over the phone on which Stefan is talking to Caroline.

"Bad news… It's not the same virus." Caroline said disappointed.

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

"Dr. Creepenstein was working on the next phase of the virus. When Nadia was sick, he was experimenting on her blood and he figured out a way to extract the werewolf venom from her blood and put it in the virus." Caroline explained.

"Wait… what do you mean 'werewolf venom?' That means it's fatal." Stefan said causing Elena to freak out.

"Hello! You don't think I would just drop this on you without a silver lining! There's an antidote. It just requires you to come meet me. I'll text you the address."

"Or you could just bring it over here." Stefan said.

"No. You have to go there. And don't ask me why, because I can't tell you." Caroline told him with a sigh.

"Caroline… this doesn't make any sense… Just tell me exactly…"

Caroline sighs in frustrations. "If I could tell you, don't you think I'd be there right now to help Elena? I'll text you the address!"

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on." Stefan said stubbornly.

Charlie, fed up with Stefan, grabs the phone from Caroline.

"For god's sakes Stefan. Just get over here!"

"Charlie?" Stefan asked confused.

"No, it's Damon. Yes, Charlie!"

"What are you doing? Why haven't you called me? You were supposed to let me know when you got out!" Stefan scolds his twin.

"I'm sorry. I was too busy saving our asses. Now get over here. The travelers don't want anyone to know what they're up to, and they won't give us the antidote without you. Just get there fast okay?" She said and hung up, not waiting for an answer.

"I swear, when it comes to stubbornness, Stefan and my father are one in the same." Charlie mutters mainly to herself.

"You're no different sweetheart. When you have your mind set, there's no changing it." Enzo said to his girlfriend.

"That's not…" She trails off seeing the look both Enzo and Caroline are giving her. "Fine." She concedes.

* * *

"He'll tell her." Stefan said about Damon when he met Caroline, Charlie, and Enzo and the abandoned train station.

"When?" Caroline asked.

"'_Hey Elena, I killed Aaron.' _ It's not exactly casual conversation." Stefan said.

"Killing someone in cold blood isn't casual, but Damon managed that just fine." Caroline argued.

"Or I can just tell her…" Enzo speaks up. "Considering I was lying in the road when he stopped the car."

"Yeah about that Charlie…" Stefan said ignoring Enzo. "I'm not sure if I like you with this guy. It's like he's getting Damon to undo every positive decision he's ever made."

"I have several arguments about that statement dear brother." Charlie said. "A.) I have never judged your past relationships, and trust me you made some bad ones, so don't judge mine. I'm a grown woman and can be with whomever I very well please. B.) Regardless of Enzo's or even my influence towards Damon, we all know he was going to act out in some way. That's what happens when he's hurt. And finally, C.) Aaron was the final stop on his list for revenge. I think after being captured by the Augustine's for five years, he had a right to finish things the way he wanted. Now that I've said my peace. Leave it alone. We need to get to the real reason we're here." Charlie said and motioned her head towards a group of travelers.

Stefan, unable to argue with what Charlie said, turned his head towards the group.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Sloan. And you met some of the travelers when they were taking a bucket of your blood." Sloan answered.

"Oh yeah. How could I forget? So, you have the antidote to the ripper virus, correct?" Stefan asked getting straight to the point.

"We do, thanks to Enzo's contribution."

Stefan and Caroline look at Enzo confused.

"Charlie and I were trapped in that bloody farmhouse, set to get our heads ripped off, when Wes shows up with the travelers and saved our lives, in turn that one of us give our body to science. He was running low on vampires and he needed to continue his work. So, not letting Charlie do it, I let him experiment on me. Among other things, it allowed him to make an antidote." Enzo explained from his spot next to Charlie.

"When he died, the travelers took it. And seeing as Elena is valuable to us, we're in the process of using Wes' resources to find a cure for her virus as well." Sloan said.

"Enzo and I tracked them down for the antidote. They wouldn't hand it over unless you agreed to help them." Charlie told her brother.

"Alright. Fine. What do you need?" Stefan asked.

"When need to find another one of you." Sloan said, surprising everyone.

* * *

"What do you mean, there's another one of me out there?" Stefan asked confused.

"We never stopped to think there might be another doppelgänger running around. We hadn't been caught up on the doppelgänger lore. But I've learned a few things. Mainly that the last remaining pair of doppelgängers are special." Charlie explained.

"Special how?" Caroline asked confused.

"None of your business." Sloan snapped.

"Watch it." Charlie snapped back.

"You'll have to excuse Sloan." Enzo said. "She's under a bit of stress. The leader of the travelers, Marcus was it?"

"Markos." Sloan corrected.

"Markos, wants the blood from the last remaining pair of doppelgängers, i.e. you and Elena." Enzo said.

"Why?" Caroline asked.

"They're special. And before you ask, we don't know." Charlie told her. "We've learned that the travelers are very secretive. What we _do_ know is that until the last pair of doppelgängers are out of the picture, your blood, mixed with Elena's doesn't do squat."

"So what? You do a locator spell until you find this guy and then you kill him?" Stefan asked.

"It's more of a linking spell." Sloan said.

"The last time a witch linked me to my doppelgänger, she fried my brain and I lost my memory." Stefan argued.

"Then we better be careful."

* * *

"Look, I know there's a lot of them, but between the four of us, I bet we can take em." Caroline said to the group who were talking privately before walking towards the travelers.

"Did you really just say that?" Stefan asked surprised.

"Ugh. Sorry. I'm desperate." Caroline defended.

"It'll be fine." Stefan said.

"Yeah, until you lose your memory again."

"Look Caroline. I don't like this anymore than you do." Charlie said. "But if we don't find this other doppelgänger, neither Damon nor Elena will get the antidote." Charlie sighed. "I just wish there was another way. I mean, who volunteers themselves for witchy electric shock therapy?"

"Me. And I would do it for either of you too. Well, except Enzo." Stefan mocked.

"Cheers mate." Enzo said and wrapped her arm around Charlie's waist.

"Look, let's just say that they do fry my brain." Stefan said.

"I'll kill them." Charlie said simply.

"I'll help." Caroline offered.

"Right, and then you, Caroline will spiral out of control, and you Charlie will drive yourself crazy trying to get my memory back. So when you both inevitably lose control, remind me, that I love you both." Stefan said by the time they reached the travelers.

"That's for you. Sit." Sloan orders Stefan towards an old car seat.

"Where are the antidotes?" Stefan asked.

"You'll get it when we're done." Sloan said.

"That's not how this works." Charlie told her.

"You'll hand them over right now. I'm here, I'm doing everything you want me to. Now hand them over." Stefan ordered her.

Sloan finally gave up and handed the antidotes to Charlie. Charlie looked back at her brother, not wanting to leave him.

"If you want to stay here sweetheart, I'll make sure they get them." Enzo told her.

"I'll be fine Charlie. Go with him." Stefan told her, not trusting Enzo.

"Thanks for the confidence mate." Enzo said.

"I still don't trust you."

"I'll stay with Stefan, Charlie. Don't worry." Caroline told Charlie calmly.

"Fine. Call me if something happens." Charlie said and walked away with Enzo.

"He's going to be alright gorgeous." Enzo said grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together.

"I just worry ya know? Especially after what happened last time." Charlie muttered.

"We'll get these antidotes to their rightful parties, then we'll come back and you can see for yourself that everything is fine." Enzo consoled.

"I love you." Charlie said suddenly.

"I love you too, beautiful." Enzo said back and kissed her forehead.

* * *

Enzo and Charlie made their way back to Stefan after getting the cure to Damon and Elena. Caroline called them and told them what needed to be done.

Charlie found Caroline crouched in front of an unconscious Stefan. She made her way up into the train car and crouched next to Caroline.

"How is he?" Charlie asked.

"He hasn't woken up yet." As soon as Caroline spoke, Stefan started to groan and blink his eyes, waking up. "I'll give you two a minute." She said and left the siblings to talk.

"Hey." Charlie said.

"Hi." Stefan says confused until recognition crosses his face. "Rebekah, hi."

Charlie's eyes grow wide in shock, before Stefan says. "Kidding! Lexi, right?"

Charlie pushes Stefan and says, "You were funnier the first time big bro."

"Charlie." Enzo said from outside the car, not wanting to interrupt the siblings, but knowing they needed to leave. "We need to go."

"Did I miss something?" Stefan asked.

"Sloan was going to fry your brain to kill your doppelgänger. Caroline stopped them. So now Enzo and I are going to go deal with it." Charlie said.

"You mean… kill him?" Stefan asked, again.

"Duh." Charlie said obviously.

"You can't do that Charlie." Stefan tries to stop her.

"They only want one alive, Stefan. It's either you or him. It was a pretty easy decision."

"Fine. But take Caroline with you." Stefan tells her.

Charlie sighs. "Not this again. Stefan, you can trust Enzo. We'll get this done, and finish this."

"Please? I'd feel better. My head's already in shambles, you wouldn't want to push me into oblivion with worry for you do you?" Stefan said, giving his version of puppy eyes.

"You've gotten better at guilt over the years. Fine, I'll take Caroline with me. Maybe when she tells you that Enzo's fine you'll believe me. I really wish you wouldn't be so hard on him." Charlie lightly scolds.

"You're my little sister Charlie. It's my job to be protective. Until he passes my tests, he doesn't get the okay. Right now he gets the maybe." Stefan said, although it would take a lot for his opinion on Enzo to be swayed.

Charlie stuck her tongue out at Stefan childishly causing Stefan to laugh. "Love you." She said and stood up to leave the car.

"Love you too. Be safe." Stefan said.

When Charlie and Enzo's backs were turned, Stefan sent Caroline a look. A look that said, 'trust me' and 'we'll talk soon.'

One things for sure, all of them were tired of the word 'doppelgänger.'

* * *

**Rescue Me **

* * *

Caroline, Charlie and Enzo had made their way to Atlanta and were currently in a dinner, trying to plan their next move.

Caroline and Charlie sat on one side of the booth, while Enzo sat on the other. Enzo kept nudging Charlie's foot, trying to play an adolescent game of footsy, just to bug her.

Charlie's phone started buzzing on the table with an incoming call from Sloan, but Enzo beat her to it.

"Atlanta assassination squad." He said, causing Caroline to look around in caution and Charlie to narrow her eyes at him for answering her phone. "How may we be of service?"

"I take it you haven't located the doppelgänger yet?" Sloan asked.

"You told us to find a nameless paramedic at the scene of a car accident in a city of freeways, fried green tomatoes and terrible drivers." Enzo said. Charlie laughed under her breath and Caroline even quirked a smile. "It's not exactly as easy as it sounds."

"Which is why I'm calling, the doppelgänger's name is Tom Avery. And I just saw him deliver a patient to Atlanta Metropolitan Hospital." Sloan said.

Caroline and Charlie's eyebrows come together in anger.

"She did the vision thing again?" Caroline asked while Charlie grabbed the phone from Enzo's outstretched hand. He was already handing the phone over, knowing Charlie was going to yell at Sloan.

"We had a deal. I find Stefan's last living doppelgänger-"

"Tom." Sloan interrupted.

"Tom. Whatever." Charlie said. "I… deal with him," She said quietly, being conscious of the human presences around her. "and in return, you stop using Stefan to psychically doppel-bomb him! Because every time you link the two of them together, you are frying Stefan's brain."

"I don't give a damn about his brain. It's his blood that matters." Sloan said. "And until Stefan and Elena are the last two doppelgängers on Earth, their blood is useless to me. So you better believe I'll give Stefan a back alley lobotomy if you fail to kill Tom Avery."

"I don't fail at things. I've been told I'm stubborn, and when I set my mind to something, I don't stop until I succeed. So do it again, I'll kill everyone last one of the travelers. Starting with you." Charlie told her sternly and hung up the phone tossing it down on the table.

Caroline looked at Charlie surprised and Enzo gazed at her in admiration.

"I'll kill the travelers, starting with you." Enzo said bringing Charlie's attention to him. "You're like a perky, sexy, blonde angel of death. I love it. Kind of scary." He smirked at her.

"Just don't get on my bad side and you'll be fine." Charlie said.

"What if I want to get on your bad side?" Enzo flirted, forgetting Caroline's presence.

"Okay. Save it for the bedroom. We have a doppelgänger to find." Caroline said pushing a laughing Charlie out of the booth.

* * *

Charlie was talking to the receptionist at the hospital while Enzo and Caroline sat in the chairs, Caroline looking at a magazine, ignoring Enzo's presence.

"Okay, I give up. I can't tell if you're avoiding the mission, or me." Enzo said to her.

"Well why can't it be both?" Caroline asked.

"I don't see why you're so hostile. I mean, I did help obtain the antidote and hand-deliver it to Damon and Elena, which in turn kept them from consuming each other… literally." Enzo defended.

"That doesn't mean I trust you. I just don't understand why you're even here. Charlie and I could've done this with or without you." Caroline said.

"Considering Charlie's my girlfriend and I care about her well-being, that's one reason why I'm here. Plus, with Damon trying to be a good boy, Charlie and I need a third for our murder group."

Caroline gives him a look.

"I'm joking! A joke… British humor…" Enzo said but Caroline ignored him.

Enzo grabs a magazine to keep himself busy until Charlie got back.

"Ahh, modern women." Enzo said noticing the women in the magazines. "All bosom, no mystery. That's one I think I love about Charlie. She's sexy and seductive, but still conservative and modest. She leaves things to the imagination. Not letting anyone see what she's hiding except me."

"Dear god!" Caroline exclaims and closes her magazine. "Can you please stop. I don't need to know what you think of my best friend's body. To be honest, I don't know what she sees in you anyway."

"I'd only assume it's the same thing you saw in that hybrid you hooked up with. If you could feel something for him, why can't Charlie feel for me? I mean if you think about it, we're almost the same. Well-traveled, charming accent, dodgy morals…"

"Arrogant, tactless, completely unable to keep comments to yourself." Caroline interrupts. "I don't see how Charlie ever fell for you."

"To be honest I don't either. I'm the luckiest man out there for earning her love. She was brought into the Augustine's and then…" Enzo trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Let me guess. She made you, want to be a better man?" Caroline mocks.

"Not at all." Enzo said staring lovingly at his girlfriend who was talking to a doctor. "She just… reminded me that I was good all along."

Caroline was left speechless. She may not see any qualities worth falling for in Enzo, but it was obvious to her the love they had for each other.

Charlie looked over and motioned with her head for the two to join her.

"You were asking about Tom Avery right?" The doctor asked.

"Yes. We need to see him as soon as possible. It's a matter of life or death." Caroline answered.

"I wish I could help. Tom Avery was a pain in my ass, but he was also the best paramedic I ever met."

"What do you mean 'was?'" Enzo asked.

"He disappeared four months ago. No one knows where he is." The doctor answered.

The three vampire's shared a look of 'oh great.'

* * *

"I hope you're calling me to tell me the doppelgänger is dead." Sloan answer's Stefan's phone.

"Your stupid doppel-visions gave us bad information. Put my brother on the phone." Charlie orders Sloan. The three are standing in a waiting room in the hospital, trying to figure out where to go next.

"Charlie, what happened?" Stefan asked when Sloan put the phone on speaker.

"Tom's been missing from the hospital for months. Is there anything else you may have notice in your visions – places, landmarks, any small details that could help us out?" She asked hopefully.

"No. I can't remember anything. After the spell happened, it's like I blacked out."

"The link connects us to the doppelgänger's mind. If we're seeing old memories, that means we have to go deeper." Sloan says and prepares to dive back into Stefan's mind.

"No. No. No. If he's blacking out, then the link is destroying his memories. You can't…" Charlie is cut off by Stefan groan in pain.

"Stefan! Stefan?! Can you hear me?" Charlie asked worried drawing Caroline and Enzo's attention.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked.

"She's frying Stefan's brain." Charlie tells Caroline. "Stefan, just listen to my voice okay? I'm still here. Just hold on." She tries to comfort Stefan.

"Can you hear me?" Charlie asks once his groaning stops and it's silent. "Stefan? Say something, please!?"

"I'm here Charlie." Stefan says out of breath.

Charlie and Caroline let out a breath of relief.

"6643 Peachtree Drive. There was, uh, a redheaded woman. Her name was Hazel." Stefan explained.

"Thank you. I'll get this done and then I'll be home and we'll get you out of there. I promise." Charlie insisted.

"Don't worry about me just stay safe." Stefan assures her. "Hey, can I talk to Caroline for a second?"

"Yeah sure." She said and handed off the phone to Caroline. Enzo wraps his arms around her and the two walk away from Caroline, out of hearing range.

"Hey, Stefan. What's going on?" Caroline asked confused.

"Caroline, he's a good person. You can't let Charlie kill him. Find another way."

"Clock's ticking." Sloan says before she hangs up the phone.

Caroline is left to think about what Stefan said. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

"It's a miracle we found the place." Enzo said as he, Charlie, and Caroline approach an old, beaten down house at the address Stefan told them. "Every other street in this blasted city is Peachtree."

"These look old." Caroline said looking at the mail. "Like, four months old."

Enzo attempts to open the door, only to find it locked.

"Seventy years in a cage… You'd think I'd learn to pick a lock by now." Enzo jokes.

"Not funny." Charlie said, giving him a stern look.

"Sorry gorgeous." Enzo apologizes before breaking the handle off of the door causing it to swing open.

Inside the house, a witch is sitting in the middle of the house, surrounded by candles and salt, with her eyes glazed over in a trance.

"Red hair… that's her. She's a witch." Caroline points out.

"Not for long." Charlie says and goes to walk in the house, only to be kept out by a barrier.

"And she must own the house." Caroline points out, again.

Charlie steps back and Enzo tosses the door knob in the air.

"Not for long." He mocks Charlie. He throws the door knob with force at the witch, killing her and effectively destroying the obstacle keeping them out.

Charlie tilts her head to the side and Caroline's eyes widen in surprise.

"Is it wrong that I'm mad I didn't think of that myself?" Charlie asked causing Enzo to wink at her.

Caroline, however, is not as impressed. "Why did you do that? She was our only lead!"

"Exactly. And I am a murderous vampire. Surprise!" He quips and follows Charlie into the house.

* * *

"She was in a bloody trance, unable to answer questions." Enzo defends as the three stood over the body of the dead witch. "I don't see why you're mad. I'm only doing what's necessary to save your friend, because you won't."

"You don't think I'm up for this?" Caroline asked.

Charlie looks at her. "Come on Caroline. I know you. This isn't your thing."

"I'm sorry, but is all of this supposed to be easy. I'm a good vampire. I don't just go around killing people!" Caroline insists.

"I didn't say you weren't a good vampire Caroline. But sometimes you hesitate, I've seen you do it. Hesitation can get you killed, and in this case, Stefan killed. Now I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to let that happen." Charlie stated.

Caroline was quiet, not knowing what to say and before anyone can break the silence, they hear a soft _thud-thud, thud-thud, thud-thud._

"What's that sound?" Caroline asked.

"The tell-tale heart." Enzo smirks

They followed the sound down to the basement where they find the 'not-so-one-and-only' Tom Avery, unconscious, and attached to IV's.

"Why would a witch go to such lengths to keep a man alive and off the grid for four months?" Enzo asks.

"Four months ago, Silas died." Caroline said.

At Enzo's confused look, Charlie specified. "The original Stefan-gänger."

"He's a dead ringer, all right. Or rather, soon to be dead." Enzo said.

Caroline walked up to and unconscious Tom and crouched down by his side. "Tom? Tom? Tom Avery?"

"Caroline come on. I'll do this. Just go upstairs and we can get this done." Charlie insists.

Before Caroline can answer, Tom sits up suddenly and starts pushing and tearing at the tubes on his face.

"What's happening? Who are you people?" He freaks out.

"We're angels mate, come to deliver you to the sweet hereafter." Enzo jokes. Charlie hits him in the stomach and Caroline sends him a look.

"Calm down. You can trust me." Caroline compels him.

"Caroline stop. The more you bond the harder it is, now let's just-" Charlie is cut off when Caroline whips around and breaks her neck suddenly.

Before Enzo can react, she snaps his neck too causing Tom to look on in fear.

"What's going on?" Tom asked.

"I'm getting you out of here." Caroline said and they walk out of the house, stepping over the two temporarily dead bodies. Caroline just hopes Charlie will forgive her.

* * *

Charlie groans, coming back to life and feeling a pain in her neck. She sits up, rubbing the sore spot and looks around to notice Enzo waking up too. However, she doesn't see Caroline or Tom. Fantastic.

"What happened?" Enzo asked sitting up too.

"Stefan got to her." Charlie said, finally understanding why he wanted Caroline to go with her, and why he wanted to talk to her earlier. "She was never here to help."

"I knew she was a bitch." Enzo states. At this moment, Charlie can't really argue.

"Come on. We have to find them." Charlie says and stands up to leave the basement.

"How? We don't know where they are." Enzo said following her up the stairs.

"Knowing Caroline, she's going to send him away. Get him out of town so we can't find him. We just have to stop her before that happens, and then maybe break her neck so she knows how it feels." Charlie said angrily.

Enzo smirks, "I love it when you're vengeful. It's kind of a turn on."

Charlie shakes her head at his antics and the two head out to find Caroline.

* * *

They find the two in an underground parking lot.

"I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life." Tom said happily.

"Yeah. I don't think anyone has." Caroline agrees walking ahead of him.

"I guess it was a fitting last meal." Charlie says and races over to Tom, breaking his neck and killing him before Caroline can stop her.

"No!" Caroline tries to protest but it's too late. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Because Caroline. It needed to be done."

"How could you kill him?! He looks just like your brother." Caroline tries to guilt her.

"Exactly, Caroline!" She exclaims, while Enzo stands back watching, knowing this was her fight. "_Looks_ just like Stefan! But he's not. It was either him or Stefan, I chose Stefan. I'd choose Stefan any day over someone who _looks like him_. I did what I needed to do to save my brother. That's something you clearly don't realize." She said angrily and walked away.

Caroline and Enzo stare after Charlie's retreating figure.

"It's what Stefan wanted. How could she do that?" Caroline asked Enzo.

"Because unlike you Caroline, she's willing to do whatever it takes for the people she loves. Something I admire about her. The travelers moved to some junk yard outside of Mystic Falls. Feel free to tell Stefan that you failed at what he sent you to do." Enzo said and left to find Charlie.

* * *

Enzo and Charlie sat in the same diner they were in earlier. Charlie was still in thought and hadn't said much since her encounter with Caroline. Enzo wanted Charlie to get her thoughts together before they headed back to Mystic Falls.

"You did the right thing Charlie." Enzo consoled and reached across the table to grab her hand. "It was either Tom or Stefan and you chose your brother. No one can blame you for that."

Charlie sighed. "I know. I mean if I had to do it over, I'd do the same thing. As long as Stefan's sa-"

Charlie was interrupted by her cellphone ringing with a call from Stefan.

"Hello?" Charlie answered.

"Hey. Caroline told me what happened." Stefan said.

"You mean how you sent her after me to keep me from killing someone like the monster I am? Thanks. Didn't need the reminder." She said shortly.

"You're not a monster Charlie. I know you only did what you did for me, but he was a good person."

"And so are you." Charlie argued. "Why would you even send Caroline, knowing I was going to kill Tom anyway? That's what I'm mad about. You knew I would choose you over him, so why even try and stop me?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I knew you would kill him in order to save me, because that's what you do Charlie. You do whatever you have to do in order to save the people you love. You watch out for me. I can't be mad at you for that, I just wanted you to know that. You're my sister Charlie, I love you, and I want to thank you for looking out for me all these years. Even though I should be the one looking after you." Stefan told her sincerely.

Charlie smiled. "I'm not dead, so I'd say you've done a pretty good job so far." She joked causing both Stefan and Enzo to laugh. "I'll be home soon. And tell Caroline I forgive her for breaking my neck."

"Be safe. Wait, what-"

"Love you!" She said quickly and hung up. Caroline can explain that one.

"Feel better sweetheart?" Enzo asked her.

"Much." She smiled then sighed. "Let's go home. I have this weird feeling that killing that doppelgänger was part of something bigger."

* * *

**Please review! Tell me your thoughts and feelings! haha :) **


	11. Way Back When

**Hey Readers! Sorry it took a few days for the next chapter. This weekend I was really busy. I had this chapter finished Friday, but I never got the chance to edit it. **

**Anyway, here it is. It's not an episode, as you'll notice. But I hope you like it! :)**

* * *

Charlie and Enzo were, in lieu of a better term, simply hanging out. They had just gotten back from Atlanta and were spending time together before Charlie left to go back to campus to be with Elena as moral support after her break up with Damon. She really didn't want to leave Enzo, but her friend needed her so she would be there.

They were lounging on her bed, sharing stories, dreams, plans, anything really.

"So sweetheart, now that we finally have a chance to be alone. Tell me." Enzo said running his fingers through her hair.

"Tell you what?" She asked confused.

"Tell me all that I've missed. 50 plus years we've spent apart. What have you been doing, where have you been, what have you seen?"

"Oh, um, I don't know where to start really. 50 years is a long time." Charlie said, not really knowing what to talk about from her life after Augustine.

"What about when you first came back to Mystic Falls? Tell me about that." Enzo said, just wanting to hear her talk.

"Oh right. The time I found my brother's in the same place, with a girl who looked exactly like the woman who ruined all of our lives. Well, you see…"

* * *

_(Flashback) (The Night of the Comet)_

_"Of course you are." Damon taunts his younger brother. "We both know the closest you'll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and _feed_ on it."_

_Damon had just properly met Elena, and there was no way he was going to walk away without teasing Stefan about it first._

_"What kind of game are you playing, Damon?" Stefan asked, trying to uncover the true reason he was back in Mystic Falls. _

_"Games? Why wasn't I told?" They suddenly heard a voice say. _

_They turned around to see a girl leaning against the entryway of the parlor. She had light blonde hair that reached just above her waist and had a slight wave to it, striking blue-green eyes, and a smirk that could put Damon's to shame. _

_She looked like Stefan and acted like Damon, because this wasn't just any girl. This was Charlotte Salvatore. _

_Damon's face broke out in a happy, genuine smile and he raced over to his younger sister, enveloping her in a hug causing her to laugh. _

_Stefan, coming out of his shock, walked over to greet his twin sister. _

_"Alright, my turn." He said. Damon pulled away and allowed the twins to hug. For now, they would put their problems aside, happy to see their little sister again. _

_"What are you doing here Charlie?" Damon asked. It had been about six months since he had last seen the younger Salvatore. Stefan hadn't seen her since their last birthday, so he too was extremely happy for the surprise. _

_Charlie and Stefan broke their hug, still smiling. _

_"Well, I was tracking down my less attractive half here," she gestured to Stefan causing him to roll his eyes. "Because our birthday is coming up. Turns out, he was back home in Mystic Falls. Then I try to find my partner in crime, figuring I'll stop on the way and say 'hi,' only to find out that he too, is back in Mystic Falls." _

_She broke away from her brother's and went to pour herself a drink. The only thing Damon had was Bourbon. While she was more of a Scotch fan, she wouldn't complain. "Now I'm torn between being happy that my brothers are in the same place for the first time in decades, and being offended that I wasn't aware of the family reunion. So, who's going to explain how my invite got lost in the mail?" She smiled coyly at her brothers. _

* * *

"So you didn't know they were both in Mystic Falls?" Enzo asked.

"Well, I usually knew where they were. I liked to keep tabs on them in case anything ever happened. However, I took a trip to Italy and lost contact with both of them for a few months. When I came back, my friend Lexi told me Stefan was back home… and so was Damon. I thought she was lying so I had to see it for myself." Charlie explained.

"Where's Lexi now?" Enzo asked.

"Dead. Damon killed her. Long story. Don't ask." Charlie said, not wanting to remember how hurt she was that Damon had killed someone she loved.

"What happened after you came back?"

"I found the face of someone I thought I would never see again…"

* * *

_(Flashback) (The Night of the Comet)_

_Stefan was getting ready to go the town gathering to watch the comet when he heard a door slamming downstairs. Before he could blink again, Charlie was standing in front of him looking beyond pissed off. _

_"You want to tell me why the hell this Elena girl you like looks _exactly_ like Katherine, the supposed dead vampire?!" Charlie fumed. _

_"Charlie, just calm down okay. I can explain." Stefan said, trying to get her to calm down before she broke anything. _

_"Oh please do. Is this why you came back to town? Is that why Damon is here too?" Charlie asked. _

_"Yes, that is why I came back. No, I don't think it's why Damon is here. He hasn't told me the real the reason he's here. But listen, okay, she's not Katherine. They are completely different people." Stefan said calmly. _

_"Then why do they look, _exactly _the same?" Charlie asked confused. _

_"I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet. But trust me when I say that she is not Katherine. They don't act the same." Stefan pushed. _

_"So she isn't a manipulative bitch?" Charlie asked sarcastically. _

_Stefan chuckled. "No, she's not. How did you find her anyway?" _

_"I was simply walking down the street, minding my own business, when I see the face of the devil herself. I was about to race over and rip her head from her shoulders before I heard her heartbeat and someone calling her Elena. After that, I promptly returned home to confront my brother on his stupidity." She sassed. _

_"She's different, Charlie. She's warm, kind, caring. Basically everything Katherine wasn't. I know they look the same, but I just had to know her." _

_Charlie looked at her brother and saw the love-struck look in his eye. She sighed. "Do you know what you're doing Stefan?" _

_"I know you're worried, but I'm determined to keep history from repeating itself." Stefan said sternly. _

_"Just be careful okay. Katherine tore our family apart once. I don't want her look-a-like to do the same." Charlie said defeated. _

_"I know. I want my brother back too. I want us to be a family again." Stefan said and pulled his sister in for a hug. _

_"Just… don't let this turn into another weird love triangle thing. You guys can't keep fighting over the same girl." _

* * *

"And you know how that played out. Both he and Damon fell in love with her anyway." Charlie told him. She was curled up against his side now, not even realizing she had moved, too caught up in her story telling.

"She liked both brothers? Sounds like she was like Katherine in that way. Speaking of, I thought she died a long time ago, before you were turned?" He asked confused.

"She was supposed to be saved in this tomb that was underneath the church, but it turns out she was never there. She'd been out and free, living her life while Damon was crushed, waiting for the day he could get her out. A lot of things happened with her re-appearance. That was when we learned of what the doppelgänger is."

"And what is it exactly? Or what is the doppelgänger used for?" Enzo asked, truly loving to hear stories of her past.

"Long story short. Elena's doppelgänger blood was what broke this spell on the original, Klaus, in order to release his werewolf side. She was supposed to die in the sacrifice but her birth dad gave up his soul to save hers." She answered sitting back up to look at him.

He laid his head in her lap and gazed up at her while she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Klaus. That's the hybrid that Caroline hooked up with right?" Enzo asked.

"Exactly. Damon was dying of a werewolf bite right after Klaus broke his curse, and at the time, Klaus' blood was the only cure. So Stefan gave up his freedom and become Klaus' best friend for the summer in order to save Damon. Klaus came back to town when he found out Elena wasn't dead and used her blood to sire a hybrid army…"

* * *

_(Flashback) (The Reckoning)_

_"Aw Klaus! You're having a party and didn't tell me?" Charlie said as she walked into the gym. "You hurt my feelings."_

_Klaus looked up from his position on the bleachers. Rebekah had just left with Tyler leaving himself, Elena, Dayna, and Chad in the gym. Dayna and Chad were still cowering at the back of the gym while Elena was stressing over what Klaus would do next. _

_"Sorry, love." He sent her a charming smile and stood and walked towards her. "Didn't know you were into these kinds of parties. But by all means, you're welcome to join us."_

_"Aren't you sweet?" She asked sarcastically. By now the two were standing directly in front of each other while Elena was watching on confused and feeling slightly safer now that Charlie was there. _

_"You know, I try." Klaus said back. "What is it I can do for you sweetheart? Not that I don't enjoy your presence but at this moment in time it is unnecessary. I'm simply trying to figure out why I can't create more hybrids. Once I have the solution, I'll be on my way." _

_"See, that's actually why I'm here. I'm just wondering if this "solution" of yours involves killing Elena?" She asked. _

_"I haven't found out yet darling. But if that's what it takes then so be it." Klaus said unapologetically. _

_"Well, I have a problem with that. Now I know that you've taken Stefan and turned him into your little minion that doesn't care. But he's my brother, my twin, and I know him better than anyone. And regardless of what he says, he cares about her. I love my brother, my brother loves her, therefore I can't let you hurt her." Charlie said sternly. Elena and Charlie were friends anyway, so it's not like she wanted her to die. _

_"I'm afraid there's nothing you would be able to do to stop me. If Elena's death is what it takes, then that's what I'll do. End of it." Klaus said back just as determined. _

_Elena watched on from her side of the gym. She couldn't really make out what they were saying since they were talking in somewhat hushed voices. Plus the fear was making the sound of her own heartbeat thud loudly in her ears. _

_"Look," Charlie said, going with a last chance effort. "I need my brother back Klaus. According Damon, he's already teetering on the edge. I'm afraid that if you kill Elena I'll lose him forever. Now, I'd try to play the sympathy card with you. But considering you daggered Elijah, again, I don't think that would do me a lot of good." _

_"You're right it- wait, how did you know I daggered Elijah?" Klaus asked suspiciously. _

_She sighed, "While you went on your new wolf killing spree when you first turned a few months back, Elijah came to me, tried to apologize for not keeping up his end of the deal and killing you in the first place. Now me, being the stubborn ass that I am, didn't want to hear any of what he had to say. However, he told me he was determined to earn my forgiveness and all that crap. But, he had to take care of 'family business' first. That being cleaning up your mess and getting his family back. He told me he'd find me in a week and explain his side, however, he never showed up. I may be a bitch, but I'm a smart bitch. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened." Charlie explained. _

_After Klaus had broken his curse, Elijah came to Charlie, trying to apologize and get her to see his side of the story. He just wanted his family back, something Charlie could understand. But in the process, he betrayed her trust, something not a lot of people get. Especially, if he's such a 'man of his word.' _

_"You haven't changed a bit. Beauty and brains. I can see why Elijah would be drawn to you." Klaus smirked. _

_Before Charlie could reply and ask him what he meant by 'haven't changed a bit,' the gym doors burst open with a pissed off Rebekah charging through. She was about to confront Elena about the necklace, but froze in her stride seeing the new comer. _

_"Charlie?" Rebekah asked surprised. _

_Charlie, unaware of how this girl knew her, stared confusedly. "I'm sorry, well not really, but I have no idea who you are." _

_Klaus snapped his fingers together in remembrance. "Ahh, that's right. I gave Stefan his memories, but forgot to give you yours. Sorry darling. Are you on vervain by any chance?" _

_"… I don't know if I should answer that." Charlie said, unsure of what was going on. 'Gave Stefan his memories back?' What? _

_"We'll find out, don't worry." Klaus said and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes causing her eyebrows to furrow in confusion. _

_"Now, you remember." Klaus compelled her. _

_Charlie's mind went blank with compulsion before she was attacked with an onslaught of hidden memories. Flapper dresses, illegal dance clubs, dancing, Stefan, 1920's, Rebekah and Klaus? _

_It was as if Charlie was seeing things completely differently. She was no longer staring at an immortal hybrid and his spoiled sister, she was staring at her friends. _

_"Bekah?" Charlie asked. Rebekah's face broke out in a smile, happy that her friend remembered her. _

_ Way back when, in the 1920's, Charlie and Stefan indulged in the alcohol that was the Prohibition. Charlie was happy to see a carefree side of her brother that didn't involve completely tearing people apart in blood lust. So, like any normal sister would, she supported Stefan in his partying. It was a good bonding time for the twins. After what seemed like forever, they were finally in a place where they felt they could be happy with what they were, vampires. _

_On their quest for illegal alcohol, they ran into the two originals themselves, Rebekah and Klaus. Rebekah and Stefan fell into a whirl-wind romance fast, and she and Charlie were practically sisters. Even Charlie and Klaus flirted a little bit, but it was nothing to the extreme that Rebekah and Stefan were. _

_Charlie and Rebekah embraced in a sisterly hug, both laughing at the sudden appearance of the other. _

_"Where have you been Beks? It's been, what, 90 years?" Charlie asked surprised. _

_"Why don't you ask Nik?" Rebekah said and sent a scolding look to her brother. _

_Charlie looked over to a smirking Klaus, remembering their friendly banter from back in the day. "Looks like someone's dagger happy aren't they?" _

_"It was necessary at the time. It's good to have you back darling." Klaus said, in a weird kindness that isn't shown very often. _

_"Yeah, _back._ Why did you take my memories in the first place?" Charlie asked, confused. _

_"Story for another time." Klaus answered. _

* * *

"Why did he take your memories?" Enzo asked from his spot on the bed. Charlie was now getting out a suitcase, preparing to pack some things to take to Whitmore.

"His step-father, Mikael, was on a mission to kill him. Mikael found them in the 1920's and to protect their where-abouts, he made Stefan and I forget we ever met them. Mikael's dead now, Klaus killed him. And the original family has taken up residence in New Orleans." Charlie explained, folding a pair of pants.

"How many are there?" Enzo asked and riffled through the clothing items thrown across the bed.

"Now, there are only three. Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah." She was about to go on to tell him of the other two siblings and how they passed when Enzo interrupted her.

"Elijah? The one who, according to Klaus, was 'drawn to you?'" He asked with a hint of jealousy.

Charlie stopped her folding, knowing this would come up eventually.

"Yes, Elijah had a thing for me. He actually asked me to go down to New Orleans with him when they moved." She said shyly.

Enzo's eyes widened in surprise. Although he couldn't blame the guy, Charlie's an amazing woman. However, jealousy is a tricky thing and he couldn't help the flare of anger he felt knowing some guy was moving in on his girl. To be fair, Charlie thought he was dead, so it would be perfectly understandable if she were to move on after 50 years. Enzo couldn't blame her either if she did, which made him question why she didn't.

"Did you have a 'thing' for him?" Enzo asked trying to bury the jealousy. She was with him now and that was that.

"I guess so. I mean, I liked him. Physically, he was my type. Dark hair, dark eyes, strong features. He even had a slight accent. And he was a great guy. He was sophisticated, caring, protective, but also dangerous in a hidden 'don't mess with me' kind of way. He made me feel safe, and that was a rare feeling for me and something I hadn't felt in a long time." Charlie explained.

Enzo was quiet for a minute before he asked. "So why didn't you leave with him?"

"I couldn't." Charlie said simply. "Not only would I be leaving my friends and family, but I would be leading him on. And I couldn't do that. Yes, I liked him, I probably could've even had a happy life with him, but I didn't love him. I don't think I ever could. And that's what I told him. I couldn't give him my heart, knowing that it belonged to somebody else. It wasn't mine to give away." Charlie said looking into his eyes that were staring at her in deep attention. "Back then, I thought you were dead. And I knew that someday, I would have to move on. If not, I would spend eternity alone. But it turns out, even 50 years isn't enough to take away what I felt, and still feel for you."

Charlie had told Caroline that she turned down Elijah because it 'wasn't the right time.' Which it wasn't, but that wasn't the only reason. And Enzo was number one on her list of reasons why she didn't want a relationship.

Enzo was left speechless. She had a chance. A chance to move on and be happy with someone who could protect her and love her. But she gave up that chance because of the feelings she still had for him, even though she believed him dead.

Enzo leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips against hers in a slow, passionate kiss. When they pulled away he cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes.

"I am so, incredibly in love with you. And I can never thank you enough, for making me the one who has your love." Enzo said sincerely.

Charlie's eyes watered at his words. "I love you too. Like I said, you have my heart Enzo."

"And I'll do everything in my power to keep it safe."

The two stared at each other a few seconds longer before returning to their previous positions. Enzo leaning against the head board of the bed and Charlie packing.

"So, you said that only three were alive. How many were there before?" Enzo asked, getting back to the conversation.

"We knew five. Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, the living ones, and then Finn and Kol." Charlie said, folding a shirt and placing it in the bag. "Finn was the odd-one-out in the family. Their mother, the original witch, Esther, came back from the other side. She made them believe she wanted to be a family again, when really she was out to kill them."

Enzo's eyes widened at the thought. "She wanted to kill her own children?"

"She made them what they were, vampires. It was to protect them from werewolves back when they were human. She said they were 'abominations against nature.' And since she made them what they were, she said it was her job to set it right. Finn was going to sacrifice himself in order to kill the rest of the family through a linking spell. If one died, they all died. We were able to stop her before she could though."

"Why did you stop them? Wouldn't it have been better if they were dead?" Enzo asked confused.

"Elijah kidnapped Elena and threatened to have Rebekah kill her if we didn't stop Esther." Charlie said. She knew what Enzo was going to say, and low and behold, he said it.

"This is the guy you said was kind and caring?" Enzo sassed.

"He did it for his family. I wasn't happy at the time, the same with when he let Klaus live, but it was something I could understand. I'd do anything for my family, he was just protecting his." Charlie argued. "Anyway, Klaus threatened Bonnie and had her unlink them. We were able to get ahold of stakes made from white oak, the only wood that will kill them permanently, and used one to kill Finn. That's how we found out that when an original dies, so does every vampire in their sire line."

"How'd you figure that out?" Enzo asked.

"His girlfriend Sage showed up at the house for vengeance and she just… died. Started coughing up blood then she desiccated. And the guy Troy, that she sired, died right after." Charlie said.

"So… you had to figure out who were all sired from before you could kill another." Enzo said. "Who are you sired to?"

Charlie looked impressed. "Look at you, being all intuitive and genius-y." She winked at him. "All of us are sired to Klaus. Klaus turned someone who led up to Katherine. Katherine turned Damon and Stefan. Stefan turned me. And it was Damon's blood in their systems that turned Caroline and Elena when they died. We came up with a plan to desiccate Klaus and bury him where no one will find him. That didn't exactly work.

"Esther showed up again and turned our friend Alaric into the 'ultimate hunter.' She made an indestructible white oak stake that he could use to kill the rest of her children. He found Damon when he was leaving town and stabbed Klaus with the stake. Alaric wouldn't die unless Elena died, so when Rebekah ran her and Matt off the bridge and she died, Alaric went with her."

"But if Klaus was stabbed why didn't he die?" Enzo asked, listening intently to her story.

"If Klaus died, so did Bonnie's mom Abby, since Damon turned her in order to stop Esther from killing them the first time. So, to save her mom, Bonnie made a deal with Klaus and put him in Tyler's body. We all thought Tyler had died, since Klaus' blood directly turned Tyler into a hybrid. So when he "died" and we didn't, we figured Klaus was lying when he said he sired our line. When Alaric stabbed Klaus, he closed the coffin he was in and chemistry saved his body from being turned to dust. Thus, why Klaus is still alive and is the sire of our bloodline." Charlie told him. She walked into the bathroom to gather hair products and makeup to take with her.

"What about that Kol guy?" Enzo said and got up to lean against the bathroom door.

"When we found out there was a cure, we also discovered the 'brotherhood of the five.' This group of five vampire hunters that have been in existence for over 900 years, whenever one would die, another would be "born" so to speak. They had tattoos on their arm that led them to the immortal creature, Silas, whom you know about. Every time a hunter killed a vampire, the mark would grow and the tattoo was only visible to other hunters. When Elena killed the hunter that came to town, Jeremy turned out to be the next one in line. Our main task was to keep Jeremy from going crazy and killing us all in the process, so we came up with a way for Jeremy to kill a bunch of vampires quickly…"

* * *

_(Flashback) (A View to Kill)_

_"You disappoint me, Damon." Klaus said after tossing Damon a vial of blood. "You're not trying very hard to get out of here. I expected more the daring escape artist, less the cell potato." _

_"Well, I am compelled to kill Jeremy, so I figured it's probably smarter to sit here and chit-chat with you than bust out of here like the Hulk." Damon defended. _

_"How do you think Elena felt about that, by the way? Your inability to overcome Kol's compulsion for a single moment even though it meant saving the one person she loves most in the world?" Klaus taunted. _

_"Oh come on, Klaus." Charlie said from her spot leaning against the wall. "That's a low blow, don't you think? Even for you. Just because you can't get the girl you want, doesn't mean you have to bring other people down with you."_

_"I'm simply stating the facts love." Klaus said innocently. _

_"Besides, Elena's met me." Damon jumps in. "She knows impulse control's not my strong suit." _

_"Still, I remember when I compelled him to feed off Elena. He fought so hard, he actually managed to resist. Now, that's love." Klaus stated. _

_"What would you know about love Klaus?" Charlie asked bitterly. _

_"Seems I've hit a nerve. What's got you so passionate about the subject of 'love?'" Klaus asked surprised by the fire in her eyes. _

_"Love is a fragile thing as it is. When you've got the weight of the world, the threat of impending doom and the fear of the unknown hanging over your head, it doesn't make it much easier. It also doesn't need your two cents, so cut it out." She said and ended the conversation on the topic. _

_Klaus was left in a mild state of shock, while Damon was, yet again, feeling guilty for his part in ending Charlie's love story. _

_Klaus' phone rang, piercing through the silence in the cell. _

_"Well, if it isn't the happy homicidal maniac." Klaus answered the call from Kol. _

_"Did you know that your darling former blood bag and her brother are trying to kill me?" Kol asked angrily. _

_"What?" Klaus froze. _

_"Don't pretend like you're not in on it. Your obsession to find the cure clearly trumps any sibling loyalty you once felt." Kol stated. _

_"I don't know what you're talking about." Klaus insisted, getting angrier by the second. _

_"I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm and kill Elena just for sport. Then I'm coming for you." Kol said and hung up. _

_Klaus grabbed Damon by the neck and held him against the wall. "What the hell's going on?" _

_"I don't know." Damon said. _

_"Klaus. Easy. We don't know anything." Charlie said honestly. Damon had been down in the cellar all day and Charlie was keeping him company, so they never heard of a plan to kill Kol._

_"For some reason I don't believe you." Klaus told her then turned back to Damon. "What are Stefan and Elena planning?" _

_"I don't know. I've been stuck in the penalty box with you since yesterday. Charlie's been here the whole time. Stefan won't talk to me, Elena won't come and see me, and Charlie hasn't made any calls since she's been down here. We don't know." Damon pressed. _

_Klaus, fed up with the situation, compels Damon, even though it didn't work considering Damon was drinking vervain-laced water. "Tell me what you know." _

_"I don't know anything about a plan." Damon insisted honestly. _

_"Stay here till I return." Klaus compels him. _

_"I will stay here until you return…" Damon replies robotically. _

_"You, sweetheart," Klaus turns to Charlie. "You're coming with me." _

_Before Damon can protest, Klaus grabs Charlie and races away. _

* * *

_Klaus arrives at the Salvatore house with Charlie just in time to watch Kol meet his demise. Jeremy looks over and notices Klaus standing at the door and freezes, causing Elena to look over as well. _

_"What did you do?" Klaus asked still with a firm grip on Charlie's arm, preventing her from getting away. _

_"We didn't have a choice." Elena urged. "He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!"_

_"Lies! He never would've gotten inside if you hadn't have set a trap for him." Klaus accuses. _

_"You said you were going to put him down too." Elena persists, trying to get him to understand._

_"I was going to make him suffer on MY TERMS!" Klaus yelled. "I'm going to burn this house to the ground. And then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you both without blinking." _

_"You kill us, you'll never get the cure. You'll never be able to make any more hybrids." Jeremy tried to negotiate. _

_"You really think I care for an instant about my bloody hybrids? I want the cure so I can destroy it. I would've killed you all the second we dug it up." Klaus told them. He looked over, as if noticing for the first time that he still had a hold of Charlie. He brings her back to his chest, grabbing her by the throat threateningly. "Invite me in. Or I'll kill her where she stands."_

_Jeremy and Elena's eyes widen in fear for their friend. Jeremy was about to invite him in, when Klaus falls to the ground grabbing his head in pain, in turn, releasing Charlie giving her a chance to run inside and out of his reach. _

_"Invite him in!" Bonnie yells, appearing behind Klaus and holding up her hand sending the pain through his head. "Do it." _

_Jeremy hesitates a moment. "Come in." _

_Klaus falls forward until he is struck with pain again. _

_"Living room. Go!" Bonnie instructs. _

_Elena, Jeremy, and Charlie run through the living room and into the kitchen. Klaus tried to follow, but was blocked by a barrier between the living room and kitchen._

_ Klaus pounded his fist against the barrier, trying to get out. "Witch, you can't do this to me." _

_"You have no idea what I can do now." Bonnie told him. _

_Jeremy grabbed the white oak stake from Kol's chest and the three leave the house while listening to Klaus' threats. "I will hunt all of you to your end! Do you hear me? Do you?!" _

* * *

"And that's how Jeremy completed the mark." Charlie finishes walking back into her room to finish packing.

"And that's when you left to get the cure?" Enzo asked and sat back down on her bed.

"Right. See, Kol was freaking out, threatening to cut off Jeremy's illustrated arm, because with finding the cure, we also found Silas. This supposed being that would bring hell on earth. It wasn't that dramatic I suppose, but it wasn't pleasant. The hunters mark led us to a deserted island and we found the cure along with Silas, not without complications, but we did. And then Katherine stole it away from us like the bitch she is. In the process Jeremy also died.

"Elena couldn't handle the pain of losing Jeremy, which I don't blame her, and at the time she was still sired to Damon. Damon told her to turn it off, so she did. She became a real bitch. She eventually turned her emotions back on, and she was still in love with Damon. So the sire bond didn't affect her feeling for him." Charlie said and zipped up her bag, finished with all the packing.

She sat up against the headboard next to Enzo and he wrapped his arm around her.

"What happened to the cure?" Enzo asked.

"Elena, while in a fight with Katherine, shoved the cure down her throat turning her human. That was on Graduation night. In order for Silas to get what he wanted, there had to be three sacrifices. Humans, werewolves, and witches; 12 each. Graduation night, Bonnie dropped the veil between here and the other side, so all supernatural creatures within the expression triangle, which was basically Mystic Falls, were able to interact with the real world. It was also the same night that Jeremy was brought back, Bonnie died, and Stefan was buried in an underwater safe by Silas." She explained.

"So, you could see and talk to all supernatural creatures from the other side, well the ones in Mystic Falls?" Enzo asked confused.

"Exactly. Well, the ones who hadn't found peace and were left to suffer eternity alone on the other side. Alaric, Jeremy, Kol, Lexi, even two of the hunters showed up for a visit. So some good, and obviously some bad." She was quiet for a moment before saying, "You know, I always thought that you were left roaming on the other side. Although I had hoped you had found peace, it was kind of nice thinking that you could've been right next to me. The night the veil was dropped, I wanted nothing more than to see you again. Tell you how much I love you, and that I never forgot about you. But when I didn't see you, I figured you had either found peace, or you weren't within the triangle. It seemed like everyone was there, except you. It really sucked." She laughed quietly. "I never thought it was because you weren't really dead. I have to say, this outcome is much better."

Enzo laughed at her and bent down to kiss her softly. "I would hope so."

"And that brings us up to right before I went to Whitmore to try and have a normal human experience. Didn't really work out that well, but I'm fine with the results." She joked.

"You could write a book from just the last three years of your life." Enzo told her.

"Tell me about it. Nothing ever settles down in Mystic Falls. But it's home." Charlie said.

They fell into comfortable silence, enjoying the last moments they got to spend together before spending a few days apart. Charlie looked over at the clock and noticed the time.

"I need to go." Charlie whispered, not wanting to disturb the silence.

"Maybe if you ignore the clock it will go away." Enzo said, not wanting her to leave.

Charlie laughed quietly before stretching her neck and meeting his lips with hers. They kissed for a few minutes before Charlie pulled away, really needing to leave.

"I love you." Enzo said walking her down the stairs to the front door.

"I love you too." Charlie said and turned to him. "It's only for a few days. You'll spend some time with Damon, I'll spend time with Elena and Caroline, and before you know it I'm back home. Like I never even left."

"Until the next crisis that is." Enzo said and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You know, eventually, I would like to take you around the world like we always talked about. Even though you've seen a lot of it, I'd like to experience it with you."

Charlie wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'd like that too. And I know things are hectic around here, but eventually they will settle down, and we can go anywhere you want. I promise."

They shared one last passionate kiss before Charlie left. Like she said, it was only a few days. But like Enzo said, just until the next crisis or catastrophe came into their lives. Turns out, it wouldn't take very long for the next storm to hit.

* * *

**Please Review! They make me smile! :)**


	12. Resident Evil

**Hey readers! So I wanted to wait until today to post, and here's why: Happy Birthday SilverLuna! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it. **

**And thank you to all you guys who read/review/follow/favorite. I also really appreciate you guys! :)**

**So here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

**Resident Evil **

* * *

Elena jolted awake, startled by the dream she just had where she met Stefan all over again.

"You ok?" Charlie asked her from where she was sitting on Caroline's bed. Caroline also watching on, worried.

"Yeah. I just – I just had a really crazy dream."

* * *

"So you broke up." Enzo states from standing on one side of the new pool table Damon has at the Salvatore house. "That I get. Then you slept together." He said and he and Damon switched sides. "Not smart, but again, I get it. Now here's where it gets a bit hazy for me. You went to a parent-teacher conference?" He asked confused.

"Jeremy was having some trouble at school." Damon defends innocently.

"Right. Then the kicker. You offer to drive her back to campus, and she says she can't be around you. I mean, I'm just confused even thinking about it. Can't imagine how you feel." Enzo said leaning against the table.

"I'm fine. We're just taking some time apart."

"Yeah, of course." Enzo mocks. "A friends phase; where you, her friend, watch as she moves on with her life, finds a new boyfriend. Perhaps a nice gentleman from a fraternity – Chance or Brock."

Damon scratches, causing him to look at Enzo in annoyance.

"You realize your girlfriend is on the same campus with the same types of guys you just mentioned. Not only are frat guys looking at her, but she even caught the attention of a professor." Damon taunts, throwing back his drink.

"The difference, however, is that she has me. She doesn't need a frat boy or even a professor, when she has this to come home to." Enzo gestures to his body.

Damon shakes off the fact that Enzo is talking about his sister and asks, "So why aren't you with her?"

"She's spending some well needed quality time with her friends, since you and Elena broke up. She wanted to be a good friend and insisted I do the same." Enzo explained.

"Great. So, you're here annoying me." Damon complained.

"We could always go kill people." Enzo said and leaned down to make a shot. "But, I suppose that's what got you into this problem in the first place."

**LB**

"Well, I guess my mom's not here yet." Caroline said when she, Charlie, and Elena walked into the Mystic Grill.

"I'll grab a table." Charlie suggested and left once Caroline agreed.

"Sure." Elena said then fell into another dream.

* * *

"My mom's minutes away." Caroline explained to Charlie and Elena but noticed Elena wasn't all quite there. "Elena? Hello? Elena!"

Elena finally snaps out of the vision and notices Charlie and Caroline looking at her weird. "How did I get here? I was just standing at the doorway."

"Uh, you walked?" Charlie said, but it came out as more of a question.

"Hang on. Did you just have one of those dreams, like, right here?" Caroline asked.

"It didn't feel like a dream, ok? It felt like it was real, like I was just there." Elena said.

"I know what that's like." Charlie recalled the time she dreamt of Enzo when she was knocked out by Qetsiyah.

"That's weird." Caroline said, holding back what she really wanted to say.

"Caroline, if you bite your tongue any harder, you'll bleed. Say it." Elena presses.

"It's psych 101. Actually, it's whatever comes before 101."

"100?" Charlie sasses.

"Whatever." Caroline said back. "You told Damon that you couldn't see him anymore, and now you're having dreams about Stefan?"

"It's not just about Stefan, ok? My parents were still alive. It was like…" Elena trailed off, not knowing how to describe it.

"Like a different life?" Charlie suggests.

"Exactly."

Caroline's cell phone rang with a call from Stefan. "Stefan, hey."

"Hey."

"Is everything ok?" Caroline asked.

"Well, you know how sometimes you feel crazy and you call me and I tell you that you're not crazy?" Stefan questioned.

"You mean, where you lie to her?" Charlie pokes fun at Caroline, although even Charlie can be crazy at times, everyone can.

"Exactly." Stefan agrees. "Well, I need you to lie to me too and tell me that I'm not crazy."

"Why, what happened?" Caroline asked.

"I was walking to my car, and I nearly got plowed over in the middle of the street because I was having some vision of Elena." Stefan explained.

The three girls looked at each other, confused.

"Actually, you're not crazy, and I'm not even lying. Something's going on." Caroline told Stefan.

* * *

"Care to lose again," Enzo said and set the pool-stick down on the table. "Or shall we move on to step two of Elena-less Damon?"

"You know, bringing up her name defeats the purpose of me trying to forget about her." Damon argued.

"Bring up whose name?" Enzo asked before whispering, "_Elena_."

"Whatever." Damon said and looked down at his ringing phone. "Ah, speak of the devil."

Damon rejected the call from Elena and tossed his phone down on the table. "Damon one, temptation zero."

Damon's phone started to ring again, this time with a call from Charlie.

Enzo picked up the phone and looked at Damon. "Temptation one, Enzo… Hello, gorgeous."

"Well, hello there handsome." Charlie said back to the alluring British voice.

"Charlie, focus." Enzo could hear Caroline in the background.

"Right. Can you tell Damon that there's something going on with Stefan and Elena?" Charlie asked.

Enzo put her on speaker and set the phone back down on the table.

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"Well, you know how we all laughed off the notion that the universe is drawing Stefan and Elena together?"

"Yeah." Damon confirmed.

"Well, that's happening, right now." Charlie said bluntly.

"What's happening?"

Caroline grabbed the phone from Charlie, causing the older vampire to roll her eyes at her. "Now that Stefan's doppel-him-"

"Tom?" Damon questioned.

"Tom, yes. Now that Tom is dead," Caroline whispered the last part. "Stefan and Elena are the last pair of doppelgängers, which might explain why Stefan and Elena are suddenly having vision… type… situations of each other." She said skirting around the subject.

Charlie scoffed and rolled her eyes at Caroline's obvious avoidance, and on the other side of the phone Enzo's eyes widened.

"Wait. What kind of visions?" Damon asked picking up the phone.

"You know what she's not telling you. Somebody's having sex dreams." Enzo taunted.

"They're _not _sex dreams!" Elena insisted.

"Yeah. They're more like… romance dreams." Caroline offered.

"Really?" Charlie scoffed again.

"I don't need to know that. Where's Stefan?" Damon asked.

"He went to the Traveler camp to see if anyone's still there that can tell him what's going on."

"Wait." Charlie protested. "Didn't they light themselves on fire, one after the other, in an extreme game of Dominoes?"

"Yeah." Caroline confirmed. "But it's our only lead. Look, all we know is that Tom is dead, the Travelers just committed a mass suicide, and now Stefan and Elena, who are clearly not together anymore, are having intense visions of each other."

"Find a witch, get her over here. Let's figure out what the hell's going on." Damon said and hung up.

"Rude." Charlie commented.

* * *

Enzo opened to door to the Salvatore house revealing Charlie, Caroline, and Elena. Charlie could have just walked in, it is her house, but she rang the doorbell more to announce their arrival than anything.

"Hello, beautiful." Enzo said to Charlie and brought his face to hers for a greeting kiss. When he pulled away he noticed no other added presence and asked. "I thought you were bringing a witch."

"We said we'd call her. We didn't say we'd pick her up. Pay attention, sweetheart." Charlie said and patted his cheek playfully.

"So where's uh – where's Damon?" Elena asked shyly looking around.

Damon walks into the room. "Hi." He said after a small silence.

"Hi." Elena replied awkwardly.

It was quiet for a moment until Enzo broke it. "So, who could use a drink form the library?"

"Yes, please." Caroline agrees.

"I'll lead the way." Charlie said and she, Enzo and Caroline left the ex-couple to themselves.

* * *

"Oh. This is so bad. They're fishing for small talk." Caroline complained. "We should do something."

"Or we could stay and let them amuse us as they resist the desire to tear each other's clothes off." Enzo said.

Charlie was looking at the selection of drinks Damon held, which gave the option of Bourbon, Bourbon, oh and more Bourbon.

Charlie groaned. "All Damon has is Bourbon. I think there's still a bottle of Scotch in my room somewhere. I'll be back."

"Can't we just be friends and do friendly things?" The two vampires heard Elena ask.

Enzo winced. "Ouch! She used the f-word. Poor bastard."

"But I thought that's what this was." Caroline said confused.

"Oh, it is, but it was never explicitly stated until now." Enzo explained.

"And that matters because…?"

"Well, because until it's officially out there, there's still hope, and hope," He gave a chuckle under his breath. "Hope can be the only thing that keeps you sane, believing in something that may never happen."

"You sound like you know from experience." Caroline commented.

"Did Charlie tell you our story?" Enzo asked.

"A little bit. I know that you two were Augustine's together way back when and that you fell in love. Then she thought you died and she hadn't moved on since."

"Exactly. She was, is, and always will be the love of my life. My _epic love_, is a more frequent term these days than it was back then. She was the reason I fought to keep my sanity while I was locked up. She gave me hope, something to cling on to. Hope that one day we could be together again, like we always wanted." Enzo said, staring distantly, remembering the days he was alone in the cell with only the thought of Charlie on his mind.

"What if she met someone else? I mean she thought you were dead. Did you ever think that she could have met somebody new, started a life with him, and been happy?" Caroline asked, not in a rude tone, more in a curious way.

"Of course I did. That was my biggest fear. I knew she thought I was dead, so I figured one day she would find someone else, forget about me. I was afraid I would get out, find her, only to find she was living the life she always wanted with someone else. I didn't _want _her to be hurting all these years from my supposed death, but I had that hope that she still loved me as I loved her. That we could have the life we planned. Hope for something or someone, is the one thing you have when you feel you have nothing left." Enzo explained.

"What if she had moved on?" Caroline asked.

"Then I'd let her go. Her happiness is the only thing that matters to me. If she were to walk in this room right now, and tell me she wasn't happy with me anymore, then I'd walk away. I'd be devastated, but if it meant she was happy, I would do it. She has no idea of the power she holds over me. Some may call me whipped, but I'm simply a man in love." Enzo said and smiled simply from the thought of her.

Caroline took in what Enzo told her and hoped that one day she would find someone who loved her as much as Enzo loved Charlie. Charlie had the one thing many girls dream of and never even find, unconditional love.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't stop their visions?" Damon angrily asked Luke.

They had called Liv to come over but apparently she was 'busy.' So now they were in the parlor, Elena on the couch, Enzo sitting in the chair with Charlie on the footrest in front of him between his feet, and Damon pacing, listening to Luke's explanation. Caroline was off talking to Stefan.

"Out magic doesn't work like that. We're not bigger than the universe." Luke explained.

"Then why are you in my house?" Damon asked.

"Because we need your help. We think the Travelers are about to make their move. Their leader, Markos, is here." Luke said dauntingly.

"From where? Chant camp?" Damon sassed. It was things like that that made it incredibly obvious he and Charlie were siblings.

"The other side." Luke said exasperatedly. "He's been dead for centuries, and we think the fire sacrifice allowed him to escape."

"Perfect. A dead old guy with a mysterious, evil plan. I'll take that drink now." Elena said and stood up to pour herself a drink.

"So are we dealing with another Silas?" Charlie asked confused. "I mean this is twice in the last six months we've dealt with some 'dead old guy with a mysterious evil plan.' One would think it's a pattern."

"Not really." Luke explained. "Silas was an immortal creature. Markos isn't. He's simply the leader of the travelers who came back from the other side who has a hidden plan."

"_Simply_." Enzo muttered.

"Stefan just called." Caroline walked into the room. "He said the scrap yard's been completely cleared out."

"And let me guess: the witches don't know where Markos is." Damon said frustrated.

"You guys said the visions are trying to draw Elena and Stefan together for something." Luke reminded.

"For our doppelgänger blood." Elena told him. "The travelers need it for some prophecy."

"And if the travelers are the ones who need your blood, doesn't it make sense that you're not only being drawn together but also…" Luke trailed off.

"Being drawn to them." Elena finished.

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better." Damon said sarcastically.

"Wait. I don't get it." Caroline said confused.

"If the visions are a road map, then we need more directions and clues." Charlie said. "You wouldn't happen to have a psychic GPS would you?" She asked Elena.

"I haven't seen anything about the location yet." Elena answered.

"So what does this mean?" Caroline asked.

"Break out the popcorn and Scotch Care…" Charlie started.

"Elena's little sex romp isn't over yet." Enzo interrupted her. Charlie looked back to her boyfriend, raising an eyebrow at his choice words. Enzo just smirked in response causing Charlie to roll her eyes.

* * *

Charlie was standing in the library, looking out the window onto the Salvatore property. She felt his presence more before she heard him when Enzo entered the room. She felt strong arms wrap around her waist and settle on her stomach, his chin resting on her shoulder. They were quiet for a few moments before Enzo spoke up.

"What's going on in the beautiful head of yours?" He asked. He had noticed something off about Charlie ever since she got to the Boarding House. He didn't want to say anything in front of everyone, but now that they were alone, he couldn't just ignore it. Just looking at Charlie, you wouldn't be able to tell something was wrong, but he knew her. She had tell-tale signs about her that gave away when she had a troubled mind.

She gave a slight sigh and lent back into him. "I was just thinking about what you said yesterday before I left for Whitmore. About how things only settle down for a little bit before the next crisis hits."

"What about it?" He asked, gently rocking her side to side.

"About how right you were." She joked lightly, causing him to chuckle making her feel his chest rumble against her back. "I just, I wish things were different sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked confused.

She turned around in his hold, his hands settling on her lower back while she rested her hands against his chest. "I love my family. I do, and I'd do anything for them. Hell, I'd die for my brothers. But sometimes I wish I could go off and live a life of my own."

"I know you love your brothers Charlie, you're loyal to your family and I admire that. And you have lived on your own before, you haven't always been around your brothers. But I didn't mean to make you feel like I wasn't happy when I said what I did about waiting for the next crisis. I will be wherever you are and want to be. Whether that's here, in Mystic Falls with your family and friends, or over in Europe, I don't care." Enzo told her seriously. He didn't want her to think he was hinting at something when he made the statement about a crisis. He was just making a passing comment. He felt really bad if her feelings were hurt, thinking that he wasn't happy here with her, because he was. He's the happiest he's been in his entire existence.

"I hope you're happy, I mean, you're with me. What could be better?" She smirked giving him a wink earning a playful eye roll in return. "I know I've lived on my own, without my brothers before. But things are different now. My family is finally together again after so many years of my brothers' feuding. It reminds me sometimes of how things were when we were human. And I can't leave without knowing that my brothers' are happy and safe. This thing with the travelers… not safe."

"Hey, listen to me." Enzo said moving his hands to cup her face. He could sense her stress and wanted to do anything he could to calm her worried mind. "We will stay here, _as long as you want too_, okay? I want you to know that. And whenever things finally do settle down, whether it's in a month or a century from now, then we'll leave if you want to. And if even then you don't want to leave, well guess what, we won't. Whenever you feel like you can leave your brothers with a calm mind and heart, then I'll follow you wherever you want to go."

Charlie was touched that he would be willing to hang around her sarcastic, obnoxious, and sometimes pain in the ass brother's as long as it made her happy. "But I don't want you to be unhappy just because I want to stay here."

"Gorgeous, as long as I'm with you , I can never be unhappy. One of these days you'll realize that as long as you're happy and safe, nothing else matters to me. Don't stress about what I said the other day alright? Whenever things do settle down and there's no impending doom over our heads, then we'll set off on our own adventures. And remember, just because we would be leaving, doesn't mean we'll never come back. I don't think you're brothers could survive without their dose of 'Charlie sass.'" Enzo joked, trying to bring a smile back to her face. Luckily it worked.

She laughed and shook her head at his words, unbelieving that she was so lucky to have this amazing and generous guy fall in love with her. "You're amazing you know that?"

Enzo smirked. "I know. It's just one of my many British charms." He said and brought his face down to hers to kiss her.

They pulled away from the kiss after a few minutes and just stood there. Her head on his chest and his cheek resting against the top of her head, arms wrapped around each other and lightly swaying to a silent tune.

Charlie pulled her head away and gave him a look, remembering words he said earlier in the day. "'Sex romp?' Really?" She asked.

Enzo gave her a sly smile. "What? How else would you describe it?"

Charlie thought for a moment before saying, "Fair enough."

Enzo laughed and led her out of the library, ready to face and conquer this problem with the travelers, then move on the next problem. But like he said earlier, as long as he was with Charlie, he would take on anything.

* * *

Damon, Enzo, and Charlie made their way to the address that Elena saw in her dream. Much to Enzo's argument, Charlie wanted to come too. She didn't want to send Enzo and Damon off not knowing what they would find. Which is the exact reason that Enzo did _not_ want Charlie to come. He didn't know what they were walking into, meaning he didn't know if Charlie would be safe or not. But, Charlie and her damn stubborn attitude, she wouldn't budge. However, to ease both Enzo and Damon's minds, they made her promise that if something were to happen she would run, even if it meant without them.

Damon walked to the door and pushed it open silently. He put a hand through the threshold slowly, testing to see if they would be kept out.

"Huh. Clear." Damon said when they weren't stopped. Charlie stepped in behind him, followed by Enzo who closed the door with a slight thud.

They walked in slowly, preparing themselves for what they would find, although the house was completely silent: the only thing around being covered furniture, dust, and cobwebs.

Enzo looked around, and him being him, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to mess with Damon.

"I wonder if this is where Stefan and Elena had crazy vision-sex." He taunted. Damon ignored him and Charlie rolled her eyes. "Eh, it's probably the bedroom. Stefan's pretty _vanilla_, but apparently that's Elena's favorite flavor."

"Enzo, leave him alone. I'm sure his mind is troubled enough without you adding on to it." Charlie scolded lightly.

"Come on sweetheart, you know I'm just messing with him." Enzo said wrapping an arm around her waist before whispering in her ear. "However, you know as well as I do, that when it comes to bedroom activities, I am anything _but_ vanilla." Even though he knew Damon would hear him, he said it anyway just to bug him even more.

"Enzo, that's my sister. So knock it off before I staple your tongue to your chin." Damon warned.

"Not in my house, please." A voice cut off the groups' conversation. At hearing the sudden voice, Enzo placed Charlie between himself and Damon still keeping his arm around her waist.

By now, they had walked into the kitchen and were looking into what would be the living room with a fire place, if it had furniture. Next to the fireplace was an unknown man with dark hair and a beard, whom they could only assume to be the leader of the travelers.

"Markos I take it. Well, she is not Stefan, he is not Elena and I have no patience." Damon said.

"Why are you here?" He asked Damon. Markos was looking at Charlie strangely, causing Enzo's arm to tighten around her.

"I was about to ask you the same question." Damon said. "Plus, what do you want and why are the doppelgängers having visions of each other?"

"First two are complicated. Last one's easy. I'm the reason Stefan and Elena are having visions of each other." Markos stated.

"You?" Damon asked surprised.

"Well, would you look at that?" Enzo said.

"I think we just met the universe." Charlie finished for him, staring at the stranger, surprised that he's the reason Stefan and Elena are 'drawn to each other.'

"You mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Damon asked Markos angrily.

"I'm afraid the doppelgänger lore's been misinterpreted over the ages." Markos said.

"As in there is no prophecy?" Damon asked confused and slightly hopeful.

"The prophecy is that the doppelgänger blood can help the Travelers, but they're being drawn together because of a spell I cast 1500 years ago. I had no idea where they were, and it turns out the best way to get people to go searching for each other, is the promise of true love." Markos explained.

"So what do you need the doppelgängers for?" Charlie asked, bringing Markos' attention back to her.

He stared at her curiously for a few moments, causing he brows to furrow, Damon to take a step closer to her, and Enzo to release her from his hold and step slightly in front of her protectively. Charlie, however, pushed Enzo aside so she could stand next to them, not wanting to feel like she needed protection. She didn't want to hide behind her brother and Enzo, she could fight her own battle if need be.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me." Markos apologized, coming out of his thoughts. "It's just… you look extremely familiar." He said staring at the beautiful Salvatore sister. He'd taken notice of the protectiveness coming from the two boys, especially the British one who had his arm wrapped around her earlier with a stern scowl on his face. He also noticed the way she pushed him aside and lifted her chin in bravery, ready to protect both herself and the people around her without the need of either of their protection. He couldn't help but admire her courage, he also couldn't deny she was insanely beautiful with the most captivating eyes he'd ever seen. There was something about her… but why did she look so familiar?

"Don't tell me we have another doppelgänger situation?" Damon said frustrated. Two doppelgängers was already two too many, they didn't need a third.

"No, not like that." Markos said. It wasn't that he knew her face, he just knew her… features?

"Well, my brother Stefan is a doppelgänger. We're twins." Charlie offered, not knowing what he was trying to explain.

That's what it is! He knew one of Stefan's doppelgängers way back when, so he knew what Stefan looked like now, plus ya know, the other side and all that. But he never knew of Charlie. While on the other side he didn't focus on much else except the doppelgängers and coming back to this side. What? He had things to do, it's not like he just sat around watching people for the last 1500 years. Don't judge him for not noticing.

"Ahh, that explains it." Markos said, trying to play off his confusion with confidence. "That is interesting though."

"What is?" Charlie asked, her confusion growing with every passing minute.

"This is the first time, that I know of, where the doppelgänger has had a twin." Markos explained. "It just makes me curious as to why."

"What can I say? I guess I'm just extraordinarily special." Charlie sassed.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Markos said mysteriously causing Enzo's gaze to harden even more at the guy who was staring down his girlfriend. Yeah, she's amazingly gorgeous, but she's _his _girlfriend damn it. This old dude needs to back off.

"It's a little stuffy in here." Markos said, getting back to business. He could address the mysterious intriguing woman later, but for now, the doppelgängers needed to be taken care of. "Why don't we take a walk?" He asked Damon then turned to Enzo, "You stay here."

"Not bloody likely." Enzo said and both he and Charlie took a step towards Damon and Markos. She wasn't letting her brother walk off with this guy.

Markos looked over to Charlie, knowing the only way to get him to stay behind was through her. He chanted something quietly causing Charlie to suddenly grab her head in pain and fall to the ground.

Enzo fell next to her, trying to help her, and Damon took a step forward. This Markos guy was only giving him more of a reason to rip his heart out.

"You want her brain to explode?" Markos asked. "Then I suggest you stay here."

"Fine! Just stop!" Enzo exclaimed.

Markos chanted something else, causing the pain in Charlie's head to stop, however before she could get a word out, she was knocked unconscious.

"She'll be fine." Markos assured. "However, I suggest you take her home before her safety is risked again."

Enzo and Damon shared a look.

"Get her out of here. I'll be there later." Damon told him, just wanting to get his sister away from here.

Damon and Markos left after that. Enzo looked back at Charlie and brushed some hair out of her face. "Come on gorgeous. Let's get you home."

Enzo picked Charlie up bridal style and carried her back to the Salvatore boarding house, extremely pissed off at Markos.

* * *

Charlie groaned, feeling a dull throbbing in her head. She opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings to see she was back in her room at the boarding house. Last thing she remembered, she was at that abandoned house with Enzo, Damon, and Markos. Then she felt like her head was about to burst, after that she blacked out. She sat up just as Enzo was entering the room with a glass of blood.

He flashed over to Charlie when he saw she was waking up. He sat by her side on the bed for a little over an hour before going to get her some blood, to see if that would help wake her up.

"Easy, gorgeous." He said and helped her sit up, propping her on a few pillows leaning against the headboard. He handed her the glass of blood which she downed immediately while he sat down next to her.

"What happened?" Charlie asked as Enzo took the empty glass from her and sat it on the bedside table.

"Markos did some spell or whatever and knocked you unconscious. Ya know, after he almost blew up your brain." Enzo said with distain.

"Ugh, bitch." Charlie muttered, the blood already helping the throbbing in her head.

"Are you okay?" Enzo asked and grabbed her hand.

"I'm fine. Just a small headache. Where's Damon?" Charlie asked and sat up more.

"He got back a little bit ago. I guess Markos stopped Stefan and Elena's visions. He says he only needs their blood to complete some spell of his and that he's not our enemy. I think that's crap given our current situation, but I guess we'll figure out in time if he's truly out to get us or not." Enzo explained before adding, "Oh, and Damon and Elena broke up or got in a fight or something, point being they aren't talking."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I swear those two are a walking soap opera."

Enzo laughed. "You got that right. Are you sure you're okay?"

Charlie smiled at him before pecking him on the lips softly. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"So now, we find out what Markos is really after." Enzo said and the two laid down together.

"You think it's as simple as that? You know, that he only needs their blood for a 'simple spell?'" Charlie asked.

"I highly doubt it. He's has some agenda he's not telling us about. But that's business for tomorrow. For now, I'm going to spend some time with the love of my life." Enzo said before the two shared a kiss.

It may not be perfect. It may be crazy and chaotic. There may always be a new problem around the corner. But they were together, and that's all that mattered. Together, they could defeat anything.

* * *

**There you have it! The next chapter! Please let me know what you think about it. The next chapter... oh goodness. Please review! :)**

**Love you all! :)**


	13. Man on Fire

**This chapter... I just... Well, I... see for yourself. **

* * *

**Man on Fire **

* * *

"And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Enzo answered Damon on his cell phone. He and Charlie were on their way to meet up with Stefan and Elena.

"You don't happen to know where I can find a Traveler, do you?" Damon asked.

"You know Travelers, vagabonds and the like. Haven't seen any. Why?" Enzo asked sharing a confused look with Charlie.

"I've got two brain-dead teenagers who didn't realize two plus two equals one hijacked hybrid." Damon explained.

"Don't envy you there, mate."

"Well, field trip? I mean, I'm sure there's some salvage yard we haven't toured yet. I think it's a little too dangerous to let tweedledee and tweedledumber out of the house. Last think we need's another Traveler possession in our midst. So what do you say we get the band back together and you, me, and Charlie settle things our way?" Damon asked.

"Sadly, we've got to take a rain check. We're late to meet some people." Enzo said.

"What? Who?" Damon asked confused.

Before he could answer, Charlie grabbed the phone from his hand. "Love you!" She said and hung up the phone, putting it back into Enzo's jacket pocket.

"What was that about sweetheart?"

"Elena said, that Damon said, he didn't want to see her, hear her, talk to her, or look at her. I figure if he didn't want to hear her, then he wouldn't want to hear _about _her. And telling him that we're meeting Elena and Stefan would technically be what he doesn't want. I'm just being a good sister really." Charlie said.

Enzo smiled at her and laced his fingers with hers, leading them to the restaurant/café/bar place where Elena and Stefan were.

* * *

"Ooooo, studying, how fun!" Charlie said sarcastically as she and Enzo sat across from Stefan and Elena.

Stefan, although he didn't really want to see Enzo, was happy to see his sister's smiling face. Elena smiled and waved at her and Stefan said, "Hey, sis. What's up?"

"Oh not much. Just thought I'd see how my favorite doppelgängers are doing." She smiled at them.

Elena laughed lightly. "We're fine. Just trying to take my mind off of you know who."

Charlie waved her hand dismissively at her. "Don't worry about him. He'll pout for a few days and then realize how, 'lost he is without you,' and he 'needs you around,' and all that other romance novel crap."

"How comforting." Elena joked. Charlie tells you how it is, and sometimes it's a breath of fresh air. Besides, even Charlie can admit that her relationship with Enzo is one of those sweet romantic ones. Ya know, once you get past the killing and stuff.

"Besides, even if he doesn't, I'm sure Stefan here would gladly take his place by your side." Enzo commented earning a smack in the arm from Charlie and glares from Elena and Stefan.

"Don't you have some innocent human to kill?" Stefan asked, truly hating his presence.

"I do. But Charlie's here, therefore, so am I. You're stuck with me." Enzo smirked. At first he wanted her brothers to like him, ya know, make the family happy and what not. But now, he couldn't care less what Stefan thought about him.

"Stop it. Both of you." Charlie chided her boyfriend and brother. Lately, if the two were in the same room, they couldn't go five minutes without throwing a snide comment at the other and it was really starting to get annoying.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't my favorite group of vampires." A voice called from behind them.

Elena, Stefan, Charlie, and Enzo all turned towards the door, jaws dropped and eyes wide, to see the face of none other than, Dr. Wes Maxfield.

WHAT!?

* * *

The four vampires sat in awe, staring at the supposed dead Dr. Wes. Now, Damon said he killed him. And since he's had this thirst for revenge against the Augustines, it was highly unlikely that he would let Wes go. So the only reason that he would be standing here right now, would be because he's like them… a vampire.

Wes smirked at their stunned faces. "What? Surprised to see me? Yeah, I figured. Well, you're probably wondering how I'm here, what happened, and all that jazz. You see, knowing that Damon would probably be out to kill me, I ingested vampire blood daily… pretty genius right." He glanced around the group before dropping his gaze on Charlie stunned face. "Charlie, you seem dumbfounded. I figured you of all people would be smarter than that to think I was _actually _dead."

Charlie shook her head, breaking away the shock. "Damon said he killed you. I believed him. That's not what I'm worried about. How are you here?" She said simply, then she spotted the daylight ring on his hand. "How did you get that?"

"One question at a time. Damon did kill me. Rather painfully may I add." He assured. "Now I know what it was like to be on that slab like you two." He gestured to Enzo and Charlie. "Oh well, what's done is done right? Liv, could I get some assistance over here please?"

Liv walked towards them with her arm outstretched and started chanting. The four vampires grabbed their heads in pain.

"Live, what are you doing? Stop." Bonnie told her, not only surprised to see Wes, but at Liv's actions.

"I can't stop. Sorry."

"Yep, she can't. Where's Luke?" Wes asked and some muscular guys pulled him in from the back room. "See? I compelled a few guys from the rugby team to keep her brother's life in jeopardy in case you four tried anything funny, it's also how I got this nifty little ring here. But, I can see why you guys like to compel so much, the power you hold over someone. Wonderful, alright, we're gonna have a little chat."

The entire time, they are grabbing their heads in pain, trying to get it to stop. Enzo moved closer to Charlie but couldn't really do anything given his pain induced state. They all shared scared looks, afraid of what this new vampire was trying to do to them.

* * *

They were tied down to chairs by vervain ropes, sitting in a row like they were on trial in front of the bar. The line went: Elena, Stefan, Charlie, and then Enzo. Wes just stood in front of them carelessly.

"Tell him to use me instead." Luke pushed as Liv gave him some water.

"I don't really think he's up for taking orders. Besides, I'm older than you." Liv told her brother. Yes, Wes was holding her brother hostage to get what he wants, but if he kills either Stefan or Elena, then the travelers can't use their blood for their spell. And if he happened to kill Charlie and Enzo with them, well, win-win for her.

"By five minutes." Luke argued.

"Get him out of here. I don't trust you witches. I'll let you know if he needs taken care of." He tells the rugby players who roughly pulled Luke out of the room before he turns his attention back to them. "That vervain water will only hurt worse the more you struggle. Trust me, those are dowsed with vervain and the knots are tied pretty well, compliments of the sailing club. You aren't breaking loose anytime soon."

Charlie's frustration was growing with every passing second. They had a chance to take him down when he first walked in, why didn't they take it? Well, turns out shock can freeze your entire body. She was even more pissed that four vampires, three with over a century under their belt, couldn't disable him.

"How did you compel everyone here?" Elena asked.

"This place opens at eight, you got here at nine. There's a reason you weren't in my class college girl." Wes mocked her.

"What do you want? I'm getting bored with this. So get to it." Charlie said with a crabby attitude.

"Ooo, feisty." Wes smirked at her and stopped in front of her. Enzo swore when he got out, he would rip the doctor's eyes out just for looking at her. He was a vampire now, he would heal... unfortunately.

"One of my best qualities." Charlie sassed.

"I'm sure. Of course you're wondering why you're here. Well, to be honest… I'm bored. See I've fought the last few weeks to get control of my hunger, and once I finally did, I made a plan to get you all together so you can watch me kill Damon." Wes told them.

All four vampires narrowed their eyes at Wes. "You touch him and I'll kill you before you can blink." Charlie threatened.

"That's the joy of you being tied up. You can't hurt me." Wes taunted. He heard a constant tapping, like someone texting on a phone. He looked over to see Bonnie on her phone texting Damon, foolish girl. He raced over and grabbed the phone from her. "Ahh, perfect. Now I can call Damon. Take her upstairs." He tells Liv who leaves the room with Bonnie.

"Well, you four sit tight while I make a phone call." Wes tells them before leaving the room.

"This is bullshit!" Charlie mutters angrily. "Here we are, four vampires who have all killed before and are stronger than this baby vamp, and we're stuck here like sitting ducks."

"Charlie, just calm down. We'll get out of this." Stefan tried to assure her, though he had no idea of how they would.

"Yeah? Before or after he kills Damon for revenge?" She asked him.

Elena spoke up. "He won't kill Damon. He'll kill Wes the second he realizes what's going on. Wes can't outsmart him." She said with confidence that her boyf- ex-boyfriend would get them out.

"He overpowered the four of us like it was nothing. What makes you think he won't do that to Damon too?" Charlie was slowly losing her cool. She was mad, slightly frightened, worried, and majorly pissed off. Take all that and add a dumbass doctor and you've got one bitchy Charlie.

"Hey, gorgeous." Enzo said gaining her attention. He could see the tension and worry in her eyes, well, once you got passed the hatred for Wes. "It'll be okay. We'll figure out a way to get out of this. As much as I hate to say it, Damon's no idiot. He'll be fine."

Charlie's worry didn't diminish at Enzo's reassuring words, but it did help calm her mind slightly.

"So, where were we?" Dr. Wes said when he walked back into the bar.

"You were letting us go." Charlie tried.

"Aww, nice try sweetheart." Wes said and pinched her cheek causing Charlie, Enzo, and Stefan to growl at him. Wes, in turn, just laughed. "No, actually we were having a sharing circle. A get to know you kind of thing."

"I think we know each other pretty well." Elena offered.

"Do you?" Wes asked mysteriously. He grabbed a chair and sat in front of the group of vampires.

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked.

"I mean. How well do you really know each other?" Wes asked again. "Stefan and Charlie are siblings, twins no less, but how well do they really know each other?" He asked trying to hint at what he was thinking.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked. He and Charlie looked at each other confused, having no idea what Wes was trying to say.

"Ugh, looks like I have to spell it out for you. Let's take a little trip down memory lane shall we? See, in these last few weeks while trying to control the bloodlust, which is a lot more difficult than it looks, I've had a lot of time to myself. I hung out at home, seeing as since I owned it and died I could still get in. This is the place where I kept all Augustine journals hidden away. So in my immense boredom, I riffled through those journals and came across a couple entries that caught my intrigue. One of them being about subject 21052-1, otherwise none as the first female Augustine vampire.

"This journal is where I learned that you, Charlotte Salvatore, were kept as an Augustine vampire locked away for four years, your brother Damon for five. Am I right?" Wes asked her.

"So far." Charlie answered through clenched teeth.

"Right. And I got to thinking about these Salvatore siblings, trapped in a cell, fated to be tortured and experimented on for the unforeseeable future. But then I remembered the other Salvatore… Stefan, Charlie's twin, Damon's younger brother… where was he while his siblings became lab rats?" Wes asked.

"It doesn't matter where he was." Charlie spoke up sternly, not wanting to have this conversation. "It's over now."

"He's right though Charlie." Stefan said looking at her with guilt. "While you and Damon were gone I didn't do anything about it, maybe if I had looked, I could've gotten you out of there."

Charlie was quiet for a minute, thinking about what he said. "You didn't look?"

While the two siblings were having their conversation, the other three vampires were listening intently. Elena, surprised he hadn't looked for his siblings. Enzo, angry he didn't look, remembering the hope Charlie had the first year she was captured that her brother would save her. Wes, well, Wes was just being a jackass.

"I'm sorry. Damon and I would go years without talking, so I didn't think anything of it. But, after you didn't come around for our birthday anymore, I thought Damon had gotten to you, made you realize you should hate me too for turning you into a vampire. Now that I know where you were… I'll never forgive myself for not looking. I'm so sorry." Stefan said, a few tears coming to his eyes. Even though Charlie and Damon were out now didn't matter. He should've looked. The list of 'what if's' was endless: what if he looked, what if he tried, what if he saved them. So many things could be different now, but they're not, and he can't change that.

Charlie swallowed back her own tears. She understood why Stefan wouldn't look, he thought she hated him for what he did. She couldn't be mad at him for being hurt thinking she didn't want to be around him anymore. It didn't mean it didn't hurt _her_, knowing that he didn't look for them. She'd get over it eventually, like she said it was over, she was out, so was Damon. No need to dwell on the past. Besides, who knows if she and Enzo would've fallen in love if Stefan found them any earlier. She figured they would still be together, but so many things could've happened differently. What's done is done, and she's happy now. Well, not _now _now. She'd rather not be tied up and stuff, but in general she was happy.

"I could never hate you Stefan. You're my brother." Charlie said sincerely. "You may be a pain sometimes, but I could never hate you. It doesn't matter anymore. We got out, and that's all that matters. I promise."

Charlie and Stefan shared a sisterly/brotherly look, silently communicating that they were okay. Enzo and Elena were both surprised at Charlie's reactions. She's known for having a quick temper, but when it comes to her brothers, nothing can change the bond they share.

"Well, that was boring." Wes stood up. He thought Charlie would get pissed at Stefan, yell at him maybe. But no, instead she _understood._ Ugh, yawn.

"So, now that you've unsuccessfully turned me against my brother, what do you plan on doing?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, I think here soon, you'll be going after your brother, your boyfriend, and any other vampire in sight." Wes said with a smirk.

The four vampires looked at each other oddly.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"Oh, you see, that time where I was looking through those journals, having time to myself and what not, I created this." Wes said and pulled out a syringe. "One last dose of the ripper virus."

The four sucked in a breath, surprised and suddenly really scared of this new vampire. Damn it, another ripper virus. How much you want to bet that he didn't make a cure to it?

"Hate to break it to you mate, but you're a vampire now too." Enzo said. "What's to say who you inject it with won't attack you too?"

"Simple, I'll just inject one of you and run. When the virus finally kicks in, I'll be far away from here, and that vampire will break away from the ropes and attack the rest of you. This is of course, after I kill Damon. Or maybe I'll leave him here for one of you to kill. The question is, which one will it be?" Wes said and walked closer to Elena causing Stefan to thrash in his restraints trying to get out.

"Would you look at that?" Damon walked into the bar, grabbing Wes' attention. "I thought I killed you already. Oh well. I'll take tremendous joy in ending your life again."

When Wes had called him, saying he had Elena, his siblings, and Enzo at the bar, no amount of words could describe the shock he felt. He already killed him, why is he alive? Then Wes told him he ingested vampire blood and well… here we are.

"Ah, Damon Salvatore. I was just having a nice little chat with your friends here. See, I have a slight problem. I need to decide who to give the ripper virus to, and I'm having a little difficulty choosing. Maybe you'd like to help?" Wes smirked and Damon's fallen face.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked. Another ripper virus?

"I think you know what I mean. One of your friends here will get the joy of becoming a ripper, therefore killing basically everyone they love considering this town is infested with vampires." Wes said.

"You could do that. Or I could kill you before you have the chance." Damon shot after Wes in attack position, ready to end this and Wes' life. He figured it'd be easy. New vampire, old vampire, no competition when it comes to a fight. What he didn't count on though, was a witch.

Before Damon could take three steps, he froze grabbing his head in pain and causing the four vampires watching to shout out. Liz stood on the upper level, her hand out in front of her immobilizing Damon.

"Ah, I've got quite a fondness for witches right now." Wes smirked. He turned back around to the group, taking out the syringe and eyeing the four tied up vampires. He glanced back at Damon talking to him while he paced in front of the group threateningly. "I feel like it would be too straightforward to pick Elena as the ripper. I mean you two have been through _so_ much together, I think I'll just let you die beside one another instead of her killing you. Then there's Enzo. I mean, he does need his revenge after you left him to die in that fire. But I feel that wouldn't be gratifying enough."

The whole time Wes was talking, he would stop in front of the vampire he was talking about. Everyone watched on in fear in what he was about to do, while Damon could to nothing but watch with the pain in his head.

"Or what about Stefan? He is, after all, the one who took away your true love. Yes, I've done my research. It's his fault Katherine died. But in the end, it was always Stefan wasn't it? Until Elena that is. She chose you over Stefan. That's got to make you feel good. But despite the feuding, and fighting over a girl, you two managed to come out on top, stronger than ever, with an unbreakable brotherly bond. How sweet. But Stefan's already been a ripper once. Wouldn't want him to hog all the fun."

Wes' attention turned to Charlie and he stepped in front of her. Stefan and Enzo were fighting the most to loosen the restraints behind their backs, wanting to get him away from Charlie. Charlie and Elena were working on it too, but they just couldn't get free. Enzo was close though, so close he could taste Wes' blood after he ripped his heart out. He was so used to the vervain after all these years, it only caused a slight ache when he pulled on it. He'd been working on loosening the knot ever since they were tied up and he almost had it. Just a few more minutes, that's all he needed.

"Last, but not least, there's Charlie. The youngest Salvatore, the only girl, Stefan's twin sister, and Damon's best friend. Let's face it Damon, you have more in common with Charlie than you do with Stefan, that much is obvious. You two spent four years, locked away by the Augustine's together. Forced to endure their torture and experiments together. It gave you a special bond that even Stefan can never understand. Even after she thought you left Enzo to die, she still forgave you. Looks to me like Charlie will never turn against her siblings. How ironic would it be if she were the one to end her own brothers' lives? I quite like that." Wes smirked evilly at Charlie and brought the syringe up, ready to plunge it into her neck. She pushed back as far as she could but it wasn't enough. "Looks like I've made my decision."

"NO!" Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Enzo shouted.

Enzo's restraints finally pulled free. He lunged himself at Wes, knocking him away from Charlie. So many things happened all at once. Bonnie threw herself at Liv, pushing her over and knocking her out of concentration. With Liv down, Damon was finally free. He ran over to the other three and started working on their restraints to get them loose.

Wes got out of Enzo's hold, threw him into the wall, grabbed Elena and ran, disappearing from sight. Damon cut Stefan and Charlie out of their restraints. After they made sure that Charlie was okay, they both set off in different directions in search for Elena.

Charlie ran over to where Enzo was getting up, after being thrown into the display of alcohol bottles.

"Enzo! Enzo, hey are you okay?" Charlie said when she fell down beside him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay." Enzo assured her. Charlie helped him sit up, and the two smiled at each other, happy they were both safe. That is until Charlie glanced down and her eyes zeroed in on his neck. Enzo bent his head and felt a sharp pain in his neck. Thinking it was just a piece of glass, he reached up and pulled it out. However, it wasn't glass.

It was the syringe that held the ripper virus, and it was empty. Wes had infected Enzo.

Charlie stood up, running her hands through her hair. Honestly, she was freaking out. "Enzo, what are we gonna do? You're a ripper now, I'm a vampire. Those two things don't mix." She froze and turned to him. "We have to find a cure. We, we have to find Wes before they kill him and-and _force _him to make a cure. We just- we need-"

Enzo cut her off. "Charlie, hey sweetheart, look at me." Enzo said calmly, although inside he, too, was freaking out. "It's going to be okay. Alright? We'll find a way to get past this, we always do."

"But Enzo, that virus is going to kick in soon, what if you lose control?" Charlie asked. It's not that she didn't trust him, but they'd all seen what the virus does. You can't control it.

"Hey, I would _never_ feed on you, I swear. So here's what we're going to do. You are going to go back to the boarding house, wait for your brothers to get home. Don't even bother looking for them. They most likely will kill Wes, but that's okay. We can find a way to get or make a cure without him. I'm going to leave town, just for a little bit." He said quickly when he saw her eyes widen. "I'm going to find a vampire, feed, and then I'll be good for at least eight hours. We know that much. So that's what we'll do: every eight hours, I'll leave, feed, and then come back to you. I promise. I'm not leaving you Charlie." He said sternly.

"But how long can you survive like that? Leaving every eight hours to feed?" Charlie asked, still slightly freaking out.

"As long as it takes. I promise you Charlie, we will find a cure, and in the mean time I'll leave to feed. Nothing has to change okay?" Enzo asked her. He knew it would be safest if he just left, but he couldn't leave her, not now. And by Charlie's reaction she didn't want him to leave, thank goodness.

Charlie nodded, wanting to believe him, but somehow she just thought it wasn't that simple. But if Enzo promised her, she believed him. "Okay."

"Alright. Now go home, relax, wait for your brothers and I'll be there in a little bit. I'm going to go a few towns over, turn someone, and feed. I will be back as soon as I can okay? I love you, so much." Enzo told her.

"I love you too." Charlie said. She brought his face down to hers kissing him with all she had. She just needed some reassurance that everything would be okay.

Enzo placed one last, short kiss on her lips, and before she could blink again, he was gone.

* * *

Stefan found Elena in the park. Wes had pinned her down with a stake through her stomach. He was about to plunge another one through her heart. Stefan raced over and immediately relieved Wes' body of his heart. He fell to the ground, a look of perpetual shock on his face as his body began to desiccate, turning grey with veins.

Stefan pulled the stake out of her stomach and noticed she was still unconscious. Wes must've broken her neck. Stefan knelt down beside her to make sure that was her only injury.

Enzo was walking down the sidewalk with a heavy heart. He hated leaving Charlie, but he needed to in order to feed, therefore keeping her safe. The only thing that calmed his mind was knowing he would get back to her soon.

Without warning, veins started to appear under his eyes. That's when he smelt the blood. He raced over to the smell to see Elena on the ground with a stab wound in her stomach while Stefan was knelt next to her.

"Enzo?" Stefan asked confused.

Enzo couldn't fight it anymore, he needed the blood. He lunged for Elena, but before he could reach her, Stefan threw him off of her.

"Enzo. What's wrong with you?" Stefan asked, standing in front of Elena's body protectively. When he saw the veins on Enzo's face, his own eyes widened in shock. "Wes infected you with the ripper virus."

"Aren't you smart?" Enzo asked rhetorically before lunging for Elena again.

Stefan blocked him again with a hand on his shoulder. "Enzo! You have to fight this. You can't hurt Elena. You have to focus." He tried to convince him.

"I can't. I'm sorry." Enzo said. He threw Stefan off and away from him. Next thing he knew, his teeth were latched on to Elena's neck, draining her blood.

Stefan raced back over. Without thinking, he plunged his hand into Enzo's chest… and ripped out his heart. Enzo fell to the ground, turning grey and covered in veins… dead.

What did he just do?

* * *

Stefan stood frozen over Enzo's desiccated body with Enzo's heart in his hand. "No. No, no, no, no." Stefan kept muttering under his breath. He tried to put his heart back hoping this was all a terrible dream, but it wasn't. He had just killed Charlie's one true love.

Charlie's forgiven him for a lot of things, turning her into a vampire, not looking for her while she was with the Augustine's, but he didn't think she could ever forgive him for this.

Damon may have left Enzo to die in a fire, but he didn't rip his heart from his chest. How would he explain this to Charlie, or even Damon? Fact is, he couldn't. How do you tell your sister that her boyfriend, which she knew you already didn't like, died by your own hands? Stefan was truly and utterly, freaking out.

He heard footsteps approaching, so he quickly grabbed the body and ran. That was when Damon found Elena.

* * *

Stefan dropped Enzo's body on the ground in the middle of the woods. He needed to bury him where no one would find him. Wow, that sounded really horror movie murderer-ish. Although that's kind of what this was. A weird crazy horror movie without an end, and he was the murderer.

On the way over, he heard Enzo's phone ringing, but he obviously ignored it. He checked the missed calls to see that Charlie had called and left a voicemail. Oh no.

_"Hey Enzo." _Charlie's voice rang through the phone. _"You're obviously busy right now. Maybe you're already out of town and on your way back, or maybe you're feeding, or haven't fed yet… I don't know. Call me when you get there, wherever that is, and if you're already there, call me when you leave, I just… I need to know you're okay. I know you'll just tell me not to worry, but I can't help it. Just, come back to me okay? I don't want you to think that it's best to stay away because it's not, it really isn't. I need you here. Anyway, call me when you can. I love you Enzo, so much." _

Charlie's voicemail ended and Stefan could feel a crack in his heart. He's the reason that Charlie is losing the love of her life all over again, this time for good. He couldn't stand the thought of Charlie hating him forever. So he sent her a text from Enzo's phone, trying to sound like Enzo and telling her what he thought Enzo would say, and he swore to himself that Charlie would never find out.

* * *

Elena opened her door to her room back at Whitmore to reveal a distraught looking Stefan. She hugged him, which he returned, but he looked on edge.

"Hi. You ok?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just still a bit confused about how I got here." Elena said.

"Bonnie here?" Stefan asked.

"No. She never came back." Elena said confused at his current state. "Stefan what's going on?"

Stefan took a deep breath and prepared himself to say the words for the first time. "Enzo's dead."

Elena's eyes widened in shock. "What!? How? What happened?"

"Wes injected him with the ripper virus. He was on his way out of town and ran across us in the park. I guess he smelt the blood from where Wes stabbed you. He attacked you, and without thinking, I killed him."

Elena felt her neck. She wondered why there was blood on her neck and why it was still aching. She just figured Wes did something. Elena too took a deep breath. She felt terrible for Charlie. And Damon, the one true friend he had was dead. Regardless of the fact that Enzo wasn't the best person, he cared for Charlie and Damon, and they cared for him. "Does Damon or Charlie know?"

"I just killed my brother's only friend and my sister's true love. It's been a tough year for Damon and a tough 50 years for Charlie, thinking he was dead. I don't know how they'll take it, especially Charlie. So don't you think it would be best if they thought he left to protect them and was never heard from again?" Stefan asked.

"Stefan, I don't know if I can-"

"Listen, Elena. They both think Enzo just left town, and we need to keep it that way. We barely just got Damon back. And as for Charlie… she already thought he was dead once, she doesn't need to know he's gone for good now. It would destroy her. Please?" Stefan asked, hoping she would agree to keep the secret.

Elena nodded her head reluctantly.

* * *

Bonnie was spending some time with Jeremy when she got a phone call from Stefan.

"Sorry, hang on. It's Stefan. Hello?" Bonnie answered.

"Who are you with right now?" Stefan cut straight to the point.

"Jeremy. Why?" Bonnie asked.

"Because Enzo's dead, and I don't mean to put this on you, but Damon and Charlie can't find out." Stefan pressed. Bonnie sat frozen for a moment taking in what Stefan just said. "Bonnie."

"Yep. Understand." Bonnie assured and hung up the phone.

"Damage control, is it?" Enzo asked. He had yet to pass through to the other side.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Jeremy asked when she stood up suddenly from the couch and turned around.

"Nothing. Just someone passing through to the other side, a werewolf or something." Bonnie told him.

"Go on. Keep your little secret. You'll see me again. I'm pretty good at revenge." Enzo paused for a moment, face fallen. "Do me a favor? When Charlie does find out, tell her I love her, and that I'll always be with her?" When Bonnie nodded in agreement, Enzo finally passed through, all the while holding back tears at the thought of leaving his one true love.

* * *

Damon walked into the parlor at the Salvatore boarding house after he dropped Elena off at Whitmore. He threw his jacket on a chair and walked over to the table on the side of the room to grab a drink. He saw the back of Charlie's head from where she was sitting on the couch.

"Hey, sis." Damon said and walked over to her, with a couple of glasses and the decanter of Bourbon in his hands. When he sat down next to her, he saw the tears streaming down her face and he immediately grew worried. "What's wrong?"

Charlie didn't say anything. She simply handed her his phone with an open text from 'Enzo' for Damon to read.

_Charlie, I just want you to know how much I love you. I can never thank you enough for what you've given me. You are the reason for everything I do Charlie. Which is why I have to leave. I can't be around you knowing that my mere presence puts your safety at risk. This is for the best. I don't want you to look for me, because odds are we won't find a cure. I want you to be happy. Live the rest of your life without me. Move on, find someone new to bring joy and happiness to, because that is what you did for me. But no matter where you go or what you do, remember that I always have and always will love you. –Enzo_

Damon sat frozen for a minute, reading and re-reading the message Enzo sent Charlie. Not knowing what to really say, he asked, "A cure for what?"

Charlie sniffed. "Wes infected him with the ripper virus. He said he was going to leave town to feed and that he'd be back. I guess he changed his mind."

Damon's heart shattered at seeing her broken state, and again, he felt it was his fault. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into his side just letting her cry. When her sobs subsided and silent tears rolled down her face he said, "He did this for you. He just wanted to keep you safe. It's because he loves you Charlie." He tried to console.

"It doesn't make it hurt any less." Charlie sniffled again.

Damon felt immense anger that Enzo would leave her like this. After everything they went through, how could he just leave? Enzo was also Damon's friend, he kind of liked having the guy around. Damon swore that when he saw Enzo again, he would kick his ass for hurting his sister, even if it was for her safety. He could at least call her, but a text? Come on man.

"What are you gonna do?" Damon asked.

Charlie sat up, wiping away her tears. "I'm going to find a cure, find him, cure him, and then kill him for leaving." Charlie said.

Damon chuckled at her, but completely agreed with her. Stefan walked in then and felt the guilt overflow him at Charlie's tear stained face.

"What's wrong?" He asked pretending to be confused.

Damon handed him the phone and Stefan read the text from Enzo, even though he knew what it said, considering he wrote it. He wanted to make sure that Charlie knew how much Enzo loved her. He may not have liked the guy, he may have thought she could do better than him, but Enzo truly loved her. That much was obvious in the way he looked at her, spoke to her, and protected her.

"Charlie, I'm so sorry." He said and sat down next to his sister to hug her.

When they pulled away, Charlie took her phone back and stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Love you." The brothers said to her, earning the sentiment in return before she disappeared up the stairs.

Damon sighed and poured the two of them a drink. "Where were you?"

"I, uh, checked in on Elena. She's, uh – she's all right." Stefan told him.

"Yeah, I know. I found her on campus. She was unconscious next to a dead Dr. Wes so I took her home, tucked her in. It looked like Wes got her good. She had wound in her stomach and on her neck. Luckily she got away from him long enough to tear his heart out." Damon said, not knowing that Stefan was the one to kill Wes.

"You didn't leave a note for her?" Stefan asked about Elena.

"I think I'm past trying to earn points for good behavior, Stefan."

"You know, what happened today wasn't your fault." Stefan tried to tell him.

"That's very noble of you, brother. We both know it's not the truth. If I hadn't killed Wes in the first place, he wouldn't have come back to get revenge on me using you guys. Therefore Enzo wouldn't have gotten injected with the ripper virus, and our sister wouldn't be upstairs heartbroken." Damon said and downed some of his drink.

"I'm sure she doesn't blame you for that." Stefan told him seriously. It really wasn't Damon's fault. "Either way, I think it's time to leave Enzo alone. I don't think there's another cure out there. I think we should just let this one go."

"I can't." Damon told him. He had several reasons to look for a cure for Enzo.

"Come on, Damon, you read the message; Enzo doesn't want Charlie to look for him. She needs to move on and she can't if you're out there searching for him." Stefan tried to persuade him.

"You think she's going to listen to him? Yeah, right. Besides, I have my own reasons for finding a cure. Why are you the only one that gets to play hero? Or do you just think I can't do it?" Damon asked.

"I think he's not worth saving." Stefan said honestly, even though, ya know, Enzo's dead.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Stefan."

"Really? Then tell me you're reasons for wanting to save him." Stefan asked.

"Because he's my friend. You know what you never knew? The whole time I was in that cell, every time I'd say something terrible about you or blame you for not coming to rescue us, not only Charlie but Enzo would help bring me back from the edge."

"I know you guys were close." Stefan said.

"Enzo reminded me that at least I got to grow up with a family, at least I had some family still out there, which was more than he could say for himself. Said he envied Charlie and I for having a brother." Damon told him seriously.

"Even a crappy one like me?" Stefan asked, feeling guiltier than he ever had.

"Even a crappy one like you." Damon agreed taking another drink. "He defended you, Stefan, even though he didn't know you. Even when Charlie was angry for a while over you not finding us he defended you. Said it was good that we had people on the outside, people just living their lives free and clear of our Augustine hell, people worth holding on to our humanity for because we loved them. And all that time as a prisoner, every time I wanted to give up on you, Enzo stopped me from hating you. That's why I have to help him. Not only did he stop me from hating you, but he loved Charlie with everything he had. He made her happy. And I owe him for that. And so do you."

Stefan and Damon were quiet after that, lost in their own thoughts. Unbeknownst to them, Enzo appeared in the room.

"Good going mate, nice try explaining this one." He said to Stefan even though he couldn't hear him.

* * *

Enzo appeared in Charlie's room to see her sitting up in bed underneath the covers looking at her phone. It was obvious to him she was trying to hide back her tears. He walked over to the side of the bed, careful not to touch anything, afraid of what would happen. If he simply walked through an object, it would make it all the more real that he was dead.

He looked at Charlie's phone to see what she was looking at and felt his heart clench. It was a picture he had taken a few mornings ago without her knowledge. She was still asleep, so he grabbed her phone to take a few pictures. She was lying on her side facing him, so he turned on his side facing her and placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes before snapping the picture. In the next one he was kissing her on her forehead.

She scrolled over again and Enzo froze knowing what was coming. Instead of taking another picture, he had decided to take a video.

The camera was focused on him. _"Good morning, gorgeous. As you can see, I've stolen your phone. You're going to hate the day you taught me how to use one of these things. I wanted to show you the most beautiful thing in the world." _He then focused the camera on Charlie's peaceful sleeping face. _"Nothing in the world is more beautiful than this right here. I am the luckiest man alive for getting the privilege to wake up next to you for the rest of eternity."_ He stuck his head in the frame so the camera captured the both of them. _"I love you Charlie. Never forget that, sweetheart."_ With that, he kissed her on the nose and ended the video.

Charlie sat frozen, phone in her hand, staring at Enzo's smiling face. She was unable to hide her tears any longer. Why would he leave? They had a plan. Everything would be fine… he promised.

Enzo watched as she sat her phone down and cried herself to sleep that night. He could no longer hold back the tears of his own.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Enzo whispered even though she couldn't hear. "It was never supposed to be this way."

Enzo could only hope that Stefan felt overwhelming guilt for making his sister feel like this. She only thought he was somewhere else, he didn't know if he wanted to be around to watch her heartbreak when she found out he was dead. 

* * *

**...Yeah. **

**Wow, what a chapter. I'm sorry if some of you thought he wouldn't die or were expecting him not to die, but I feel like it was such an important event that it needed to be done. So... yeah. **

**The next chapter, I'm thinking about a bonus chapter. Charlie going down to New Orleans and you'll see some flashbacks with Elijah? Does that sounds fun? **

**I seriously kind of hated writing this chapter. I tried to work around his death, I did, but it needed to be done. **

**Anyway, thanks to everyone for reading. I hope you enjoy this emotional roller coaster that is Charzo. Let me know what you think and if you would like to read that bonus chapter I talked about. **

**Oh, and Happy Birthday Claire Holt! :)**

**Again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Lots of love and hugs to you all! :)**


	14. What Lies Beneath

**Hey readers! **

**I'm so sorry. It's been like FOREVER since I updated last. I've just been really busy this past week and 're coming to the end of the season. :( But I have a few bonus chapters in mind. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry for the delay. **

* * *

**What Lies Beneath **

* * *

Charlie woke up the next morning still feeling groggy. She rolled over, prepared to cuddle up to the warmth of Enzo's body but she was met with cold sheets. That's when it came back. Enzo was gone. He left. Yesterday was real. Damn it.

She sat up and ran her hands over her face a couple times to collect herself. She wasn't going to cry anymore. Instead, she was going to focus everything into finding him and then possibly killing him, she wasn't sure yet.

She got herself cleaned up and went downstairs where she was met with Stefan and Damon watching over Luke who was trying to chant a spell.

"Well, you've been failing for an hour, wonder twin, so at this point, I can't imagine it's hurting." Damon said angrily to Luke throwing an ice cube at him.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked plopping down on the opposite couch.

"We're trying to find Enzo with a locator spell, but the wicked witch of weird over here can't do it." Damon said downing a glass of Bourbon. "Where's your sister?"

"She's tired of being almost murdered. Look, I can find any person anywhere on the planet, ok? There's just something weird with your friend Enzo. I can't get a read." Luke explained setting down a t-shirt of Enzo's that Damon stole from Charlie's room.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "The only reason a witch wouldn't be able to find him with a spell was if another witch is blocking him or he's dead." Stefan froze, staring at Charlie, wondering if she knew something. "He's obviously not dead, so he must've found a witch. Jackass knew we'd go looking for him even though he told me not too."

"Is that possible?" Stefan asked, playing along.

"A cloaking spell?" Luke asked. "I guess."

"That would mean he doesn't want to be found." Stefan said and turned to Charlie and Damon. "Look, I know you're not happy about this, but it's for everyone's protection if he stays away. I think you should just drop it."

Damon and Charlie shared a look of 'yeah right.'

"We have a problem." Tyler said walking into the boarding house unannounced.

"Yeah, we do." Charlie agreed. "You don't know how to knock."

"Sorry." Tyler lamely apologized and sat down next to her. "Anyway, Markos turned Sloan into a vampire, had her drink doppelgänger blood, and after some chanting ritual thing, she turned human again." He explained.

"He cured her?" Damon asked surprised.

"He cured her to death. The blood took away her vampirism but left her in that state she was in just before she turned."

"That state being dead. Got it." Stefan said.

"So it kills vampires. What does the spell mean for the witches?" Luke asked worried.

"No one cares. Wait, keep going." Damon ordered Tyler.

"The point is they feel if they can get rid of all magic they'll break some lame-ass witch curse." Tyler finished explaining.

"Markos said they can't settle anywhere without evoking earthquakes or hellfire, but they break that curse, and they just move right into Mystic Falls." Damon deduced.

"And come after Elena and me today, as in now." Stefan figured.

"Oh, well. Markos had a good week or two in the land of the living. Now where is he so I can kill him?" Damon asked.

"Ooo, can I help?" She asked Damon. "I have some anger I need to let out."

Damon nodded with a smirk at his sister, happy to see she's acting more like herself.

"No idea. They were moving camp when I got out." Tyler said.

"Well, good news. Our friend Luke here is an alleged genius at locator spells." Damon said.

"Travelers are always moving. They're impossible to track. They'll find Stefan and Elena long before we can find them." Luke argued.

Charlie rolled her eyes while Damon said, "Well, what about one of those locator spell blocker deals? Is that simple enough for you?"

"If both doppelgängers are in the same place, yeah." Luke agreed.

"Perfect." Damon said and turned to Tyler. "You avoid the entire Czech language, figure out how to find Markos."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Tyler asked.

"Well, you have a Traveler inside of you. I mean, I have probably misplaced faith that you'll figure it out." He then turned his attention to Charlie and Stefan. "Meanwhile, you, me, our sister and our ex-girlfriend are gonna go on a little secret trip."

"Sounds great." Stefan reluctantly agreed.

"Wait, why do I have to go?" Charlie asked.

"Cause I'm not leaving you here by yourself where Markos can find you. I don't like the way he was looking at you back at that house. Therefore, listen to your older brother and get to packing." Damon ordered before walking out of the room followed by a grumbling Charlie.

* * *

Charlie was upstairs in her room, packing, like the good little sister she was. She opened her dresser to grab her clothes when she came across Enzo's shirts. She froze for a minute just staring at them. Damn it, this was pathetic. She couldn't just put life on hold because Enzo left.

She slammed the drawer shut and began throwing things in her bag when Damon knocked on the open door. "Hey sis. You alright?"

"I'm fine." Charlie said, grabbing a few shirts from her closet. When she walked out, Damon was looking at her like he didn't believe her.

"Charlie, I know you. You're not fine. Come on, talk to me." Damon pushed. He just wanted to know his sister was okay.

"And say what Damon?" She asked placing her clothes down and turning to face him. "That everything's fine? That I'm not upset? That when I turn around, expecting him to be there and he's not it doesn't hurt? If that's what you want to hear then fine, I'll say it. But then I'd be lying to you."

"I just want to know how you're feeling." Damon told her.

"I'm hurt, Damon. I don't want to feel this way though. It was his choice to leave and I should accept it. I can't change it. And obviously, he doesn't want to be found if he has a witch blocking him." Charlie said defeated.

"Charlie, listen to me." Damon said, setting his hands on his sister's shoulders. "You may not have seen it, but I did. The way that Enzo looked at you… there was nothing but pure love and happiness in his eyes. So it's not that he doesn't want to be found or he doesn't _want_ to be here, but he feels that he _can't_ be. No matter how much he tries, something could happen and he might lose control of the bloodlust. What if he hurt you? He would never be able to forgive himself. As much as I hate to see you this way, it is for the best. However, we will find a cure and then find him. I promise you. This isn't forever Charlie, it's just temporary. So when we do fine him, I'll kick his ass, and then you can kill him." Damon smiled at her.

Charlie chuckled and smiled back at her brother. How did he always know what to say? "Thanks, Damon."

"No problem." He said pulling her into a hug. "Ugh, see what you've done to me? You've turned me into a sap."

Charlie laughed and pushed her brother. "What about you Damon? Are you alright?"

Damon thought for a minute, he knew she wasn't talking about Enzo, but Elena. "I've gotten to the point where I kind of expect things like this to happen. But don't worry about me little sister. Everything will be okay."

Charlie was silent for a moment before she said. "Wow, you really are a sap."

Damon chuckled and pushed his sister back. "Shut up. Finish packing, we're leaving in 20 minutes."

"Hey, has Stefan seemed weird to you today? He's a little jumpy, and he looks almost extra broody, if that's possible." She asked.

"He has hasn't he? Well, we're about to spend some quality time together. I'm sure something will come up." Damon said and left the room.

* * *

"So where's Damon now?" Elena asked. Charlie and Caroline were inside unpacking, out of hearing distance, but they still kept their voices down. Charlie was informing Caroline of the situation with Enzo and the ripper virus.

"Helping Luke set up."

"Helping Luke, or avoiding me?"

"You really don't think he wants to be around you?" Stefan asked.

"Well, technically, he said, "I don't want to hear your voice, and I don't want to see your face," because it's too hard for him." Elena quoted Damon.

"Who do you think brought you home last night?"

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Tucked you in safely." Stefan confirmed.

"Well, that was an extreme circumstance. Wes took me, staked me, Enzo tried to kill me. Although he doesn't know that."

"Probably read you a nice, little bedtime story." Stefan mocked.

Elena hit him playfully with the bag in her hands when Charlie walked out and leaned against the rail of the porch. "Stop it. You're the least helpful person I know."

"For a couple of doppel-targets, you two seem to be pretty cheery." Charlie called out.

"Yeah. Well, you know, a tribe of ancient wannabe witches want to drain us of our blood and eliminate supernatural beings? I've had worse." Stefan said, grabbing a box and he and Elena walked inside.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at both Stefan and Elena's weird behavior. She stood there for minute, staring out into the woods when something just felt… off.

Enzo appeared beside her. _"I miss you so much, Charlie. They won't get away with doing this to you."_ Enzo told her, even though she couldn't hear him. He was about to reach out to her but thought better of it, not sure if he would be able to handle the rejection of his hand going through her.

* * *

Stefan and Elena walked into the shed outside of the cabin to get firewood, more importantly, so Elena could get away from Damon.

"I lied to his face." Elena complained while Stefan started loading firewood into the bag.

"Yeah, I know, but you know what? Think of all the times he's lied to you and call it a freebie." Stefan told her.

Enzo appeared in the shed with them when Elena turned on the light. _"Glad you two find my death so amusing." _

"What about Charlie?" Elena asked Stefan.

Stefan sighed. "I just, I can't look her in the eye and tell her that Enzo, the love of her life whom she already lost once, is dead."

_"So you'd rather lie to her, making her believe I left her like the terrible scum you think I am." _Enzo sneered walking around the shed.

"Look, I'm sorry you have to go through this." Stefan told Elena.

_"You're sorry for what? Sorry you lied to your brother and sister, sorry for killing me, or sorry Elena's keeping your dirty little secret?" _

"I know that we're doing this for Charlie and Damon, but it still just sucks." Elena groaned.

"Elena let's face it, regardless of how much he cared about Damon and Charlie, he wasn't a good person. I think it's better that he's gone. I'm sorry that Damon and Charlie will hurt for it, but I think it's for the best." Stefan explained.

"And you think Damon is just gonna forget and move on?" Elena asked. "And what about Charlie? I mean, 50 years went by where she was without him. And honestly, I don't think she went one day without thinking about him. What do you plan to do about that?"

Stefan took a moment before answering. "Ask me again when we defeat the Travelers. Come on. Let's get out of here."

_"Nice to know where your priorities are mate." _Enzo said as he watched them leave the shed.

How could they do this to them? How could they blatantly lie to Charlie and Damon? Did they not care about them at all? They deserved to know the truth.

Anger building up inside of him, he hit the lamp over his head, expecting his hand to go right through it. Instead, his hand hit the lamp and sent it swinging back and forth.

_"Now there's an interesting development." _Enzo said and stopped the lamp from swinging, his mind racing at what happened. He had a foothold on this side. He could touch objects, no one could see or hear him but still, something's better than nothing.

* * *

The five vampires were playing charades, Stefan and Elena vs. Caroline and Damon while Charlie just watched. She honestly hated charades. People jumping around acting out things looking like a penguin hyped up on caffeine, no thank you.

Elena was acting out while Stefan kept guessing. "Uh, ok. Think. Ponder. Brain. I don't know. Uh, skull!"

"Yes!" Elena confirmed then moved on to acting out the next word.

"All right! Skull, skull. Ok. Limb. Joint. Bone. Bone, bone. Skull and bones!"

"Yes!"

"Skull and bones! Got it! Five-zero, five-zero. Come on, guys. Zip." Stefan taunted the other team.

They weren't really helping the theory that something was going on between Elena and Stefan and Damon was tired of playing this game. He had also noticed how Charlie wasn't really paying attention from her spot in the chair next to his, plus, he knew how much she hated this game. So he suggested they play a game that he and Charlie destroyed at. Catchphrase.

"Hey Charlie, how about a game of 'Catchphrase?'" Damon asked.

Charlie smirked and instantly perked up. "I think I could play a game or two."

"What's with the look?" Caroline asked confused.

"Damon and Charlie are really good at this game. I mean, scary good." Stefan said, having felt the wrath of their victory in this game before.

"Oh, I have to see this." Caroline said and sat back, ready to keep score. She wrote a bunch of random words and phrases on small slips of paper real quick before throwing them into a hat and setting a time on her phone. It was Damon and Charlie vs. Stefan and Elena.

"Alright. Stefan why don't you and Elena go first?" Damon asked, wanting to give them a fair shot.

"Okay fine." And with that the game began.

* * *

This game is different than charades, but in a way similar. The object of the game is to get your partner to guess the word or phrase on the piece of paper. You can talk, but you can't say words that rhyme, number of syllables, of words in the phrase. You'd think that Elena and Stefan would be better at it than they were though. Well, they weren't. Within the minute, they had only managed to get three points.

"Well, that sucked." Elena said, leaning back in her chair after trying to guess Stefan's clues.

"Okay, Damon and Charlie, you're up." Caroline said.

"I'll guess." Damon told Charlie and she nodded her head. She picked out a piece of paper, reading the word given.

"Alright, go." Caroline started the timer.

"I threw one at you a month ago." Charlie clued.

"Alarm clock." Damon guessed correctly so she grabbed another piece a paper.

"I broke three in that fight with that dude in '84." Charlie clued.

"Ribs." Damon guessed correctly, again.

New paper. "You threw mine against the wall because you got mad at it."

"iPod."

New paper. "I almost choked that guy with one at a ball in '79."

"Bowtie."

New paper. "I pushed you around in one, tipped it over, and you flew into a thorn bush."

"Shopping cart."

New paper. "I threw an orange at one to see what would happen."

"Ceiling fan."

New paper. "I almost fell over one when we were human because you pushed me."

"Banister."

New paper. "What we are right now to Stefan."

"Headache."

"Alright! That's enough." Stefan ended the game. They truly were giving him a headache. They already had eight points and it hadn't even been 30 seconds.

"Wow, you guys really are good at that game." Caroline said surprised. Even Elena was shocked at the teamwork those two had.

"Stefan and I are pretty good at this game too, he just doesn't get the clues I give fast enough." Charlie explained.

"That's because you're way of giving clues is weird." Stefan tried to defend. He and Charlie tried this game once, but she and Damon were way better at it.

"It works for us." Damon said and high-fived Charlie.

"Okay, new game." Caroline said, sensing Stefan's frustration. "'Never have I ever.'"

"Ugh, I don't think I'm drunk enough." Elena said sarcastically.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Caroline cheered. She and Damon were trying to find out if anything was going on between Stefan and Elena. Charlie agreed because she wanted to get drunk.

"Come on. It'll be fun." Damon repeated.

"I'll go first." Caroline offered. "Never have I ever… died."

"Cheers to that one." Damon said and they all took a drink.

"Ooh! Ok." Stefan said. "Um, never have I ever been possessed by my evil doppelgänger."

"Mean." Elena muttered and took a drink. "Never have I ever been fooled by my evil doppelgänger while she was pretending to be me."

"Ouch." Charlie muttered.

"Low blow." Caroline agreed.

"Tough but fair." Damon said and everyone but Elena took a drink.

"Never have I ever kissed a Salvatore brother." Caroline said, trying to bait Elena.

"Eww." Charlie protested.

Elena laughed and looked at Caroline since they had both kissed Salvatore brothers. "Mm-hmm."

"Today." Caroline added. There was an awkward silence before Caroline said to Elena, "So are you gonna drink or-"

"Are you implying something?" Elena asked, kind of offended.

"Well, I'm gonna get another round." Stefan said, trying to break the tension. "Does anybody-"

"Never have I ever lied about where Enzo is." Damon spoke up. Earlier, Elena had deflected the topic of Enzo when he brought up the idea of looking for him. Something was going on.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion while everyone looked at each other in silence.

"Ok. What is going on?" Caroline asked, tired of avoiding the subject.

"Nothing, obviously, because nobody's drinking." Stefan said.

"I mean, clearly you know the rules of the game, right, brother? If you lied, you drink." Damon asked Stefan.

"Oh, no. I understand the rules." Stefan defended.

"Obviously not." Charlie said drawing everyone's attention to her. "You're lying about something Stefan. I know you, you have that guilty look on your face. So what are you hiding from us?"

"Nothing. I'm not lying Charlie." Stefan tried to push.

"You just lied again." Charlie said angrily and stood up. "When you decide to tell me the truth about whatever you're keeping from me, then come find me." And with that, she left the room leaving everyone in silence.

* * *

Charlie sat down angrily on her bed. Stefan was lying to her, and she thinks he was lying to Damon too. Stefan's keeping something from them and she was determined to figure it out. But what was so drastic that he wouldn't tell her?

Enzo appeared in the room. He was extra careful not to touch anything now that he had a foot on this side since he didn't want to startle her.

_"They won't be able to hide it much longer, sweetheart." _Enzo said, watching her move about the room. _"He's hiding my death, and Elena's keeping his secret. I think it's time I move this along. You need to know Charlie." _

He was about to leave the room when Charlie stripped off her shirt, revealing a dark blue lace bra, to change into a tank top for bed. Enzo froze, staring at her.

_"Damn, I really wish you could see me." _ Enzo said. Not wanting to prolong his misery by watching her change, he left to start his plan. It's time to reveal Stefan and Elena for the liars they are. He wasn't going to pass up an opportunity for revenge.

* * *

"Stefan, hey. Remind me why I passed on the cloaking spell party again." Bonnie said over the phone.

"Well, it's not exactly a relaxing getaway. Listen, are things getting worse on the other side?" Stefan asked.

"Why?" Bonnie asked.

"Because something attacked Elena. Is it possible that someone over there could physically affect this plane?" Stefan asked. After something had tried to drown Elena, he kind of started freaking out.

"Actually, yeah. My grams knocked a lamp right off my desk today. I doubt it's easy, but if someone were emotional enough…"

"Enzo." Bonnie had just confirmed his suspicions. He killed Enzo, Elena knew, and now he's trying to get revenge. Enzo would be plenty emotional. Not only was he separated from Charlie now, but he was probably angry that he was lying to her.

"Enzo's dead?" Stefan heard Caroline from behind him. Crap.

Stefan hung up on Bonnie. "Um, yeah. I uh, I kind of killed him."

"What? What happened? Why didn't you say anything?" Caroline asked surprised that Stefan, of all people, killed him.

"Because it's complicated." Stefan said.

"Enter one complication." Damon said, walking into the room with a dangerous look on his face. "Enzo's dead. You killed him. Elena told me."

"So you didn't know either?" Caroline asked.

"Nope. Obviously you lied to Charlie, too." Damon said, glaring at Stefan.

"And their secret really was about Enzo." Caroline muttered. She thought she had it all figured out, but she was so wrong.

"Yep." Damon said through clenched teeth.

"You guys think we could, um, talk about this some other time?" Stefan asked. Not only did he not want Charlie to hear, but Enzo was planning something and they had to figure out what.

"By all means brother, at your convenience." Damon sneered.

"Listen, the other side is falling apart, and I think it's allowing Enzo to mess with us. I think he wants to get revenge at me for killing him, and Elena for not telling you or Charlie when I told her." Stefan explained.

"Enzo! You in here?" Damon called out.

_"Obviously." _Enzo appeared, sitting in the chair.

"Because knock it off!" Damon yelled sternly.

"Damon?" Charlie said coming down the stairs. "What's all the yelling about, and why are you calling Enzo?" She knew something had attacked Elena, but after seeing she was okay, she tried to go to sleep. She didn't really want to be around Stefan while he was lying to her.

Everyone froze and stared at Charlie.

"What?" Charlie asked, confused why they were just looking at her. "Do you know where Enzo is?"

Damon nodded reluctantly. "I do."

Charlie's eyebrows rose. "Great. Tell me where he is so I can find him and kick his ass."

Damon looked over to Stefan. It was Stefan's fault, therefore, he was going to be the one to break their sister's heart. Damon's been there before, but it's not his fault this time.

"Charlie, listen…" Stefan said slowly, not knowing how to say it.

"Stefan, tell me what's going on. Now." She demanded.

Not knowing how else to say it he just said, "Enzo's dead."

Charlie sucked in a breath. "What?"

"What else _brother_?" Damon sneered again.

"… I killed him." Stefan said under his breath, avoiding her gaze.

Charlie's world came crashing down. Enzo's dead. He's dead. He's not just gone, he's dead. As in never coming back, never see him again dead. And Stefan killed him, then lied to her about it. So many emotions passed over her eyes. Pain, anger, frustration, hurt, but most of all heartbreak.

Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not here, not now. She needed more information in order to organize her thoughts.

"Charlie… say something please." Stefan begged. Everyone in the room could practically feel her pain.

"Why?" She choked out, looking him straight in the eye.

"He was leaving town when he smelt Elena's blood and he lost it. He attacked her. He was going to kill her and I just, reacted. I didn't even realize what happened until it was over. It was an impulse reaction and I just… Charlie, I'm so sorry." Stefan pleaded with her.

Sorry? He killed the love of her life and all he can say is sorry! There were many thoughts running through her head and she needed to prioritize.

_"It's alright, sweetheart. I'm still here. Be strong."_ Enzo pressed. It was like he could see her thoughts on her face, and right now, everything in her was telling her not to break down. He knew she would act tough, and then when the time was right, she would lose it.

Determination flashed across her face and she straightened her shoulders before looking at the group in front of her. "So, Enzo's the one who attacked Elena. Well, drowning obviously wouldn't kill her, so he has something else planned."

_"Gorgeous and smart. That's my girl." _Enzo smiled at her.

Stefan stood blankly for a few minutes and everyone was surprised at her reaction, but for right now, he would take it and run with it. "Yeah. He's getting revenge because Elena knew and didn't tell you. But you're right. Drowning wouldn't kill her."

"Drowning Elena was just a distraction. Charlie's right, he's planning something else." Damon decided.

_"I've missed you too, Damon."_

They all raced to the front porch.

"Crap." Damon said.

"Where's Luke?" Stefan asked.

"Who knows? We better find him before the Travelers find us." Damon said.

* * *

Elena and Caroline went looking one way, while Charlie, Damon, and Stefan looked in the other.

"Charlie, you need to know why I lied to you. Both of you." Stefan tried to tell them. Ever since they left the house Charlie hadn't said a word. She was walking in front of both him and Damon, looking like a woman on a mission.

"Not right now, Stefan." Damon said, knowing Charlie really didn't want to talk about this, and to be honest neither did he.

"You guys' have to talk to me." Stefan said.

"No, we really don't." Charlie said and turned around to face her brothers. "We need to find Luke, and put up that cloaking spell before the Travelers find us."

"Charlie, I'm sorry." Stefan said defeated.

"What do you want me to say Stefan? That it's okay? That I forgive you? Because I don't. You took the one person who made me happier than I've ever been in my entire _existence_, and you ripped him away from me. You killed him. And all because he was going to hurt your _precious _Elena.

"Don't get me wrong, I care about Elena, I do. But it seems like ever since we got to Mystic Falls, nothing else has mattered to you except Elena. Even when she chose Damon, it was like you didn't give up." Charlie explained, tears coming to her eyes.

"Charlie, you know that's not true. But he was going to _kill _Elena, I had to." Stefan tried to defend. All the while Damon stood to the side watching, knowing Charlie had to get this off of her chest.

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" She yelled then took a deep breath, tears starting to fall down her face. "You didn't have to kill him. You could've ripped him off or broke his neck, anything else. That's what you did to Damon when he attacked Katherine in Elena's body. But instead you killed Enzo. I know you didn't like him Stefan… but he made me happy. I was _finally _happy. I already lost him once, and now he's gone, again. What do you want me to say to you? Because I can't hate you Stefan, you're my brother and I'll always love you. But right now, honestly, you're the last person in this world I want to see.

"So I'm going to help you guys find Luke, and I'm going to help you with the Travelers. But once that's over, I'm going to leave. Because I really can't be around you right now." Charlie said, close to sobbing. She turned and walked away, not wanting to see the person who tore her world apart.

The two brothers stood silently, staring after their sister as she walked away. Even after she was out of sight, they didn't say anything.

Damon's heart was breaking for his little sister. He had seen what losing Enzo did to her once, but for it to happen all over again… and it's because of Stefan.

"She hates me." Stefan said, tears pricking his own eyes at Charlie's words. It was all true though, and he'd never felt worse about himself then he did right now. Even when he was a ripper and he would realize he'd killed all of those people. That feeling was nothing compared to this. He was almost crippled by the pain, hurt, and betrayal in Charlie's eyes.

"No she doesn't." Damon argued. "She has every right to but she doesn't. Because that's who she is. She could never hate you. But what you did Stefan… it's going to be a long time before she can look at you again." Damon was pushing away his own hurt from the thought of Enzo dead, because right now, his sister needed him.

"I know. I know you're hurt too, Damon. He was your friend." Stefan said. He really didn't know what else to say about Charlie. He just needed to sort out his thoughts.

"Yes, Stefan, he was my friend. Which is why, above anyone else, Charlie and I should've been the first ones to know he was dead." Damon said, angry. "We all know you didn't like Enzo, it was obvious. He wasn't the best person around. I'll admit that. Hell, even Charlie and Enzo know it. But he loved Charlie, unconditionally. And what hurts worse is that it's her brother who took that away from her, and that's a pain she's felt before. You and I, we're her family Stefan. We are supposed to be the ones to put her back together, but instead, it was one of us who tore her apart."

"I know, Damon! I know. Do you think I don't feel terrible? Do you think that I'm not torn up inside knowing I'm the reason she had her heart shattered all over again?" Stefan asked. Why was Damon making him feel worse than he already did?

"Oh, I know what you feel Stefan, because I've been there before. For _years_, I blamed myself for everything that happened. For leaving Enzo behind and ultimately taking her love away. I know what it's like. It's the pain that you feel will never go away because you can't fix it; you can't change it, you can't bring him back." Damon said, knowing exactly the thoughts and feelings that Stefan had.

Stefan sighed, looking and feeling broken. "What do I do Damon? How do I fix this?" He practically begged for answers.

"You can't." Damon said simply. It's not like he wanted to hurt Stefan, he just wanted him to realize how this was going to affect Charlie, which Stefan probably already did. "The only thing you can do is give her time. So if she needs to leave, we'll let her. She needs to heal, Stefan. She needs to come to terms with what happened, but she'll come back. Like I said, she could never hate you, she just needs time."

They were silent again before Damon spoke up. "Let's just find that stupid witch."

* * *

"You hear that?" Damon asked some time later when they came across the back shed.

"Yeah. Come on." Stefan said and led them both inside. They entered to find Luke tied to the leg of a table, unconscious. Stefan walked over and felt his neck for a pulse. "He's barely breathing."

"Why the hell would Enzo dump him here?" Damon asked confused.

"I don't know."

Damon caught a strange smell in the air. "Smell that?"

They looked around and noticed an empty gasoline container. Invisible Enzo pulls the lamp hanging from the ceiling and smashes it to the ground causing the gas-soaked shed to ignite in flames.

Now, let's clear things up. Enzo didn't want to kill Damon, no. Stefan, he would have killed in a heartbeat… if he wasn't Charlie's brother. And he knew, no matter how mad she was at Stefan, she didn't want him to die. Therefore, both Damon and Stefan were off-limits when it came to his revenge. Luke however, he couldn't give a damn if he died. And if Stefan got a scare out of the experience, thinking Enzo could kill him at any time, well that's just a bonus.

"Grab him. Let's go." Damon instructed Stefan.

Enzo, not wanting Stefan to free Luke, stabbed him through the stomach with a wooden pole. Now that was fun.

Damon raced over to pull the pole out of Stefan when Enzo shoved a small piece of firewood into Damon's shoulder, pinning him to the wall. He would let them go before they died. But they couldn't go saving Luke. Enzo needed some form of revenge and Luke was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Dick move, Enzo." Damon said through gritted teeth.

"Why is he trying to kill us?" Stefan asked but changed his wording at Damon's incredulous look. "Okay, why is he trying to kill you?"

"I don't think he is, I'm probably just in the way." Damon coughed. ""If only this wasn't totally avoidable."

"Oh, really? Now you're doing 'I told you so?'" Stefan asked. "How do we get him to stop?" He said in fear. Would Enzo really kill him? Maybe he was just going after Luke? What had he gotten himself into?

_"You can't. Not until Luke is dead. I need revenge, since I can't kill you, might as well kill the one protecting you." _Enzo said glancing between the three.

"Stefan! Damon!" Charlie yelled running into the shed. She had seen the flames from the woods and ran straight to the shed.

"Charlie!" Damon called, getting her attention. Both of her brothers were pinned to the shed walls with Luke still unconscious on the floor.

"What happened?" Charlie asked.

"Enzo happened. He's getting his revenge. I think he's going after Luke and we're in the way, I'm not sure. But we need your help." Damon pleaded, still groaning from the pain in his shoulder.

"Is Enzo here now?" Charlie asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Yeah, I think so." Stefan answered. She turned to look at Stefan. Regardless of her feelings towards Stefan right now, she didn't want him to die.

"Enzo, are you listening?" Charlie asked, feeling awkward talking to him without seeing him.

Enzo knocked and old can on the floor in confirmation of Charlie's question.

"Look, I know you're in revenge mode. Trust me I get it. But you can't let Luke die. I know you wouldn't kill Damon or Stefan, so Luke is your target right? Because he's protecting Stefan and Elena?" Charlie asked, wanting to know Enzo's motive.

Enzo kicked the fallen can again._ "I knew you'd figure it out. Can't get past you can I?" _He said walking closer to her.

"Okay, um, I'll take that as a yes. Look, I can bring you back. Bonnie, Markos, Jeremy, they all came back. I'll find a way, but you have to let Luke go. We'll need him to help against the Travelers. The reason you have a connection with this side still, is because the other side is falling apart. Enzo… if we don't save you soon, you'll disappear from existence, for good. And after that, there's no getting you back." Charlie said, not even wanting to think of that possibility.

Enzo believed Charlie when she said she would find a way to bring him back. Out of everyone here, she would be the one fighting the most.

"I'll help. Enzo we can bring you back, but you have to let us go." Damon pleaded. Of course he would help bring Enzo back. Not only for Charlie, but Enzo was his friend too.

Enzo went over to Stefan and pulled the pole out of his stomach as a sign that he believed them. Charlie went over to untie Luke while Damon pulled the piece of wood out of his shoulder. By now, the shed was slowly collapsing, ready to fall in on itself.

The four got outside just as the shed collapsed. Stefan helped Luke back to the cabin while Damon and Charlie stood there for a moment watching the shed burn.

"You okay?" Damon asked.

"I will be." Charlie said then turned to him with determination in her eyes. "I'm getting him back Damon. I'm not losing him like this. I don't care what it takes, I'll find a way to bring him back."

Damon smiled at his sister. "I know you will. And I'll help you every step of the way. We'll get him back Charlie. I promise." He said and embraced his sister, giving her a comforting kiss on the forehead.

"How are you? You lost him too, Damon." Charlie asked looking at him. Damon lost his friend.

"Don't worry about me. Nothing compared to what you're feeling." Damon assured.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed. "Just because someone is hurting more than you, doesn't mean your pain doesn't matter, Damon. I want to know if you're okay."

Damon's eyebrows rose at what she said. "I'll be fine. Like I said, we'll get him back so that helps. I'm more worried about when you got so wise. That was quite a deep statement there, Plato."

Charlie laughed. "I'm just stating a fact. I do have superior intelligence." She joked. "We'll be okay Damon. We'll save him. It gives us hope, something to hold on to."

Damon smiled at her. "You're right. I'm gonna go back to the cabin, pack up before the Travelers show up. I'll give you a minute, but don't be too long. We've gotta leave."

"Alright. I'll just be a minute." Charlie said and turned back to watch the flames at her brother walked away.

_"I know you won't let me down, Charlie. You're too stubborn." _Enzo said from his spot next to her.

A chill went down Charlie's spine and she just knew Enzo was there. She smiled, taking in the comfort of knowing he was with her. She'd do whatever it took to bring him back.

* * *

Damon walked through the door of the cabin just as Stefan finished talking with Luke.

"I guess Enzo bought it." Stefan said as Damon starting grabbing some things.

"Bought what?" Damon asked.

"Bring him back. I mean, how do you and Charlie plan on doing that? Better yet, why would you give her false hope that he could come back?" Stefan asked. Damon shouldn't encourage Charlie in a hopeless attempt that will just leave her more broken than she already is.

"Markos found his way back. It's not impossible unless you want him taunting you for the rest of eternity." Damon said throwing some things in a bag.

"Not particularly."

"Uh-uh." Damon muttered.

"Uh, look. I know that-" Stefan started before getting interrupted with a punch to the face by Damon.

"Had to do that for Enzo and Charlie since she wouldn't do it herself." Damon defended, though Stefan really deserved it.

"Damon." He heard a reprimanding voice from behind him. He turned to see Elena with an accusing look on her face. She had nothing to accuse him for. She's the one who lied to him. Not wanting to hear anymore, he left the cabin, ready to get far away from it and Elena.

* * *

Damon and Charlie went back to the Salvatore house. Charlie really didn't want to see Stefan, and Damon really didn't want to see Elena, so they left on their own.

Charlie was upstairs in her room unpacking her bag when Enzo appeared. She got that chill down her spine again. It had happened a few times in the last day, but now that she knew what the cause was it brought a smile to her face.

"Hey." She said, still feeling a little weird about talking to Enzo without seeing or hearing him.

_"Hello, beautiful." _Enzo said from his spot, lounging on her bed.

"Wow, this is weird." Charlie muttered again, shaking her head in disbelief that she was talking to 'nothing.' "Um, thank you for not killing Stefan today. I know you went after Luke but… anyway thanks. He may be an ass, but he's still my brother and I love him."

She tossed her clothes in the hamper and sat down on her bed, not knowing that Enzo was right beside her. "I'm bringing you back Enzo. I don't care what it takes. There's no way that this is the end for us. After all we've been through… it just can't be. We survived the Augustines together. Death is nothing compared to that." She said, a few tears falling down her face.

Enzo reached over without thinking and wiped them away. Charlie jumped slightly at the contact. It was a weird feeling, but also a comforting one in a strange way.

_"You're damn right, sweetheart. I love you Charlie, so much." _Enzo whispered and kissed her on her cheek.

She felt a tingly sensation on her cheek and knew that Enzo had kissed her causing her to smile.

"I love you Enzo, so much." She said, unaware that he had said the same thing to her.

It still hurt, knowing that Enzo was dead and Stefan had killed him, but she had hope now. Hope that she would see him again. It gave her something to hold on to, something to keep her going.

She laid her head on her pillow and turned towards the 'empty' side of the bed. There were slight indents on the pillow and bed from Enzo's invisible form. She fell asleep that night with the comfort of Enzo and the determination to see that smart-ass face of his lying next to her again.

* * *

**Please review and let me know what you think! :)**


	15. Charlie Visits New Orleans

**Hey readers! Sorry it's been a few days, again, before updating. My grandpa has been having a few health problems so I haven't really had the chance to sit down and write. He had to go in for surgery last week so the whole family's been pitching in to help. **

**Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a new chapter, but the next episode isn't fully written yet. However, I had this one written a little while ago, so I'm hoping this will tide you over until I get a chance to finish episode 5x21. It shouldn't be too much longer for that episode, a couple days at most, but I'm not 100% sure when. **

**Charlie is in NOLA! This is before she knows that Enzo is alive. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and the new episode's chapter will be up here in a couple days. Thanks for reading and sticking with me through the slight update delays. ****J**

* * *

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Charlie says walking into the cabin where Rebekah said she could find Elijah.

She decided to go down to New Orleans to visit her friends for a while. Even though the Mystic Falls gang and the Mikaelson's got off to a rocky start, she had managed to find friends in all three of the living Mikaelson's. Well, as close as one can get to 'friend' with Klaus.

"Charlotte." Elijah says as sits up in bed despite the pain in his neck. At first he thought she was a hallucination, but he knew he hadn't reached that stage yet. She was really here.

"Who are you?" Hayley asked, eyeing the woman before her.

"Charlie. And you're Hayley right? The wolf girl who sold us out to Klaus in order to kill 12 hybrids for some creepy ritual?" Charlie says and then sees the obvious bump beneath her shirt. "And apparently with a bun in her oven. Who's the baker?"

Hayley looks uncomfortable with the unknown girl questioning her, although she can faintly remember seeing her once or twice while back in Mystic Falls. "Uh, you don't know him." Hayley answered, not wanting to give away the 'miracle babies' father.

Elijah stands up and walks slowly towards Charlie before turning to Hayley. "Can you give us a moment, please?"

Hayley looks at Elijah, surprised at the sudden emotion he has in his eyes. She's not sure if it's because of the fever or the girl standing in front of him. Even Hayley could admit she was extremely beautiful and her eyes were like something she'd never seen before. Hell, she made Hayley a little jealous.

"Uh, yeah sure. I'll just, go look for that woman…" Hayley said referring to the person she kept seeing in the bayou before taking her leave.

"Charlotte." Elijah said continuing to stare at her in wonder, confused at her sudden appearance.

"Elijah." She said staring back at the handsome original.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her.

Charlie sighs before sitting down on the bed, Elijah taking his place next to her. "Well, things at home were getting to be a bit too much, so I decided to get away for a while, take some time for myself. When Rebekah left, she offered me a place to stay when I was in town, and when I got there, she filled me in on what had happened. Apparently, you accused Klaus of some pretty serious stuff, and he reacted so predictably a blind person could spot it from a mile away. Thus why you are stuck here in a dirty swamp looking like death itself." She explained causing Elijah to chuckle a little at her analogies.

Elijah picked up on the fact the she knew not of Klaus' impending fatherhood and decided now wasn't the time to bring it up. "Oh how I've missed your wit Charlotte. Yes, I'm suffering from a 'mild' werewolf bite. Nothing a little time won't heal. If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave Mystic Falls?" Elijah said remembering the time he made a very risky offer to her…

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Elijah was packing up his things, ready to leave Mystic Falls and begin the next venture in his life; this one possibly bringing redemption for him and his family. But he couldn't leave without seeing someone first. _

_Elijah walked up the drive to the Salvatore Boarding House and rang the doorbell. He was getting these nerves in his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time. _

_Charlie answered the door and smiled instantly at the arrival of the oldest original. "Elijah. What's up? Please, come in." She said and opened the door wider for him to enter. _

_"Thank you, Charlotte." Elijah said and entered the Boarding House for what could very well be the last time. _

_Charlie smiled at his greeting. Elijah was the only one who called Charlie by her real name. She may have preferred Charlie, but there was something about the sophisticated and well-dressed original that she allowed him to call her Charlotte. _

_"Can I get you a drink?" Charlie said walking the two of them into the parlor. _

_"No, thank you. I actually came to talk to you about something." Elijah said. While he was calm on the outside, his insides were bouncing off of each other in nerves. _

_"Okay." Charlie said and sat down on the couch, Elijah following her lead and sitting next to her. "This sounds serious. Should I hold onto something?" She joked. _

_Elijah smiled kindly at her. "No, I don't think that will be necessary. I just came to tell you, that I am moving to New Orleans with Niklaus." _

_Charlie smile fell. "Oh…" She trailed off. _

_"And I want you to come with me." Elijah finally managed to get out. _

_Charlie sighed and looked down. "Elijah-" _

_"Just hear me out." Elijah said and held her hands between his. "Charlotte, I don't know what it is, but there is something about you that I just can't wrap my head around. Since meeting you… I've felt things that I have not felt in over 500 years. I can't explain it, but I have feelings for you Charlotte. Strong feelings. I'm asking you to take a chance, and come with me to New Orleans." _

_"Elijah, I…"_

* * *

Charlie looked down, remembering why she left Mystic Falls. "Things from my past were surfacing and I had to get away for a while. I'll go back soon. But I needed some time to get my head together."

"Anything you wish to talk about?" Elijah offered kindly. Since the hallucination stage of the fever hadn't set in yet and he was still lucid.

"Not really. Let's just say, the originals leaving did nothing to settle things down in Mystic Falls." Charlie said.

Elijah reached over and squeezed her hand. "You know if you ever need anything I'll be there."

Charlie smiled at Elijah and squeezed his hand back. "I know. So is there anything you need?" She said and felt his forehead that was slowly rising in temperature. "You're burning up." She stood and walked over to the sink to get a cool rag.

"Nothing at the moment. However, I don't think you should be here. The hallucinations will start to kick in soon and I fear what could happen if I lose control." Elijah warned her. Although he was happy, and surprised, with her appearance, he didn't want to put her in danger.

"I came all this way, to a muggy, dirty, and buggy swamp to see you. I'm not leaving until you beat this." Charlie said and walked back over to the bed with the wet rag. She sat down at the head of the bed and gestured for Elijah to lie down. He set his head in her lap and she placed the rag on his head, trying to cool his fever down.

"You don't have to do this you know?" Elijah tried to warn her one last time.

"Hush. You aren't getting rid of me." Charlie lightly scolded.

Elijah coughed lightly before asking her, "What all have I missed in Mystic Falls?"

"Well, where do I start? As it turns out, my twin brother was trapped in a safe at the bottom of a lake all summer and I didn't even know. Stefan is actually Silas' doppelgänger. Silas' true love Amara, was the anchor to the other side but as of not long ago, both she and Silas are dead. Bonnie has been dead since graduation, but has now filled the space of anchor, so now she has a foothold both here and on the other side. Damon and Elena are still together, but there's some prophecy or something about the universe wanting Elena and Stefan to be together… Oh and I started college. Well, then dropped out. Eh, you win some you lose some." Charlie listed off will absentmindedly running her fingers through Elijah's hair in a soothing manor.

Elijah smiled at her ability to joke when everything she said was really, _really_ bad. "I'm sorry I missed it. Maybe one day you can go back to college. You're too intelligent to limit yourself to high school." Even though Charlie has been alive for 160+ years, she never went to college. And with the way that it turned out this time, she's not sure if she'll ever try again.

"I might." Charlie said.

It was quiet for a few minutes before she realized Elijah had fallen asleep. She drifted off into her own thoughts, letting Elijah get some much needed rest, thinking about when the two last saw each other.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_"Charlotte, will you come to New Orleans with me?" Elijah asked her. _

_Charlie sat frozen for a few minutes before regaining control over her shifting emotions. _

_"Elijah… I care about you. I really do. And I like you. I mean what's not to like? You're intelligent, kind, caring, protective, but also dangerous with a hidden bad ass-ness." She smiled at him. "You've protected me on more than one occasion when I've managed to get myself into trouble. When I'm with you, I feel safe. That's something I haven't felt in a long time, and I'll never be able to thank you for that." She squeezed his hands gently and got to the difficult part. "But I can't leave with you. Not only do I need to stay here for my brother's and friends, but I also can't lead you on like that." _

_Elijah's felt something squeeze at his heart but he kept his emotions hidden well. He looked into her hypnotizing eyes, trying not to get lost in the most beautiful combination of green and blue he had ever seen and asked, "Can I ask why?"_

_Charlie looked down before answering him. "A long time ago, I met the love of my life. He was everything I'd been looking for." Charlie said smiling at the memory of him. "But something happened, and he died. Ever since, I've never been able to move on. And I really don't think I can ever feel for someone else what I felt for him. I can't give you my heart Elijah. And you deserve someone who can; someone who isn't damaged beyond repair, who can love you just as much as you love them. You've brought back feelings in me I haven't felt in years, but I can't go into a relationship with you knowing I'm not completely over my past love. And after all you've been through you deserve so much more than that, so much more than me. So I can't go to New Orleans with you Elijah. I'm so sorry." Charlie said, tearing up at the thought of losing him because of this. _

_Elijah saw her eyes tearing over, and when one fell down her cheek he wiped it away with his thumb. She had been brutally honest with him, and that is something he honored and appreciated. It was like a breath of fresh air. Although he was upset with the outcome, he was glad she didn't lead him on and deceive him like he had been many times before. _

_"Please don't cry Charlotte. I understand. You have no idea how much I appreciate your honesty in this. I'm incredibly sorry for your loss, and if he had your love, then he was one lucky man. I can only hope you find that again one day. It may not be with me, but you deserve to be happy." Elijah said. "I only wish the best for you Charlotte. But know, that if you _ever_ need anything, I'm only a phone call away. Call me and I'll be there, I promise." _

_Charlie and Elijah walked to the door, hand in hand not ready to say goodbye. _

_They stood on the porch of the Boarding House, holding off on the inevitable. Elijah turned to Charlie, and gave her a lasting kiss on the forehead, not wanting to leave but knowing he had too. _

_"Goodbye Charlotte. I hope you find the happiness you deserve." Elijah said when he pulled away. _

_Charlie gave Elijah a watery smile. "You too Elijah. If you ever need some sarcasm you know who to call." She joked which caused Elijah to smile. "I'll miss you." _

_"I'll miss you too." Elijah said. _

_Before Charlie could blink again, Elijah was gone. Off to start his life in New Orleans. Charlie cared about Elijah, just not in the way that he wanted or deserved. She honestly didn't know if she would ever care about someone the way she cared for _him_. She would miss the original, but it was for the best. _

_Elijah left the Boarding House, disappointed. He had hoped the evening would have turned out better. But unfortunately, Charlie didn't feel for him what he did for her. But at least she was honest about it. Charlie was a wonderful woman, and he only hoped that whoever earned her love in the future would treasure it and not take it for granted. He believed, that given time, he could've fallen in love with the young Salvatore sister. Luckily, his feelings hadn't grown to that extent yet, but he did care deeply for her. Maybe one day their paths will cross again, but for the time being, it was best to move on. _

* * *

Elijah and Charlie were standing on the porch of the plantation house. She had already said her goodbyes to Rebekah, Klaus, and even Hayley, wishing her luck with her up-coming motherhood.

Charlie wasn't stupid. She knew there was something going on in New Orleans that she didn't know about, nor did she want to know. It's because of this, she decided to leave after such a short visit. Maybe sometime in the future, when things have settled down, Rebekah and Charlie can visit properly again. Maybe go on a shopping spree and 'stay up all night talking about hot guys'. But for now, Charlie was going to slowly make her way back to Mystic Falls.

"It was wonderful to see you again Charlotte." Elijah said facing the beautiful blonde.

"You too, Elijah. Although next time I see you, I would prefer it sans werewolf bite." Charlie joked.

Elijah smiled too. "I'll try my best." He said and noticed something in Charlie's eyes. A deep rooted sadness that hadn't been there before. "Is something the matter Charlotte? I feel like there is more to the story on your departure from Mystic Falls."

Charlie looked at Elijah and her eyes watered slightly, remembering the dream she had. "Just a lot of old memories coming back in cruel ways that I had to get away from. I just needed time away to gather my thoughts. I figured a visit to New Orleans was in order. However, I feel like something's going on that I haven't been informed of." Before Elijah could argue she said, "And I don't want to know. You guys deal with whatever you have going on here, but if you do need help, call me."

Elijah noticed how she changed the subject quickly, but knew she didn't want to elaborate more on the subject than she already had. He could see the pain in her eyes just thinking about it. "While things may be busy around here Charlotte, you are always welcome. I hope you know that."

Charlie smiled at Elijah, thankful for his kindness that he never seemed to run out of. Before she could talk herself out of it, she hugged him.

Elijah, shocked from the sudden affection, recovered quickly and wrapped his arms around her in return.

"What was that for?" Elijah asked kindly when they separated.

"You're my friend Elijah. And I want to thank you for that. You've always been there for me whenever I needed someone. I feel safe knowing I can count on you. I just want you to know that." Charlie said sincerely.

In the past, problems with Klaus, the hunter, the cure; whenever she was in danger, Elijah made sure that she was okay, she was safe. She always thought it was because they were friends, she never knew he had romantic feelings towards her, at least until he asked her to leave with him.

"No thanks required. You know I'll always be there." Elijah said, preparing to say goodbye again.

"I know. Be careful Elijah. And when whatever it is you guys are dealing with here is over, give me a call. It's been years since I've toured New Orleans." Charlie smiled.

"I look forward to it. Stay safe Charlotte." Elijah smiled back. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and in the blink of an eye Charlie was gone.

She cared about Elijah, she really did. He was an amazing guy who gave her a sense of security. But she could never be with someone else knowing her heart belonged to _him_. It may take months, years, even decades to move on; but until that happened, she couldn't go into another relationship knowing her heart was in someone else's hands. Knowing it wasn't hers to give away.

* * *

**Please review! Let me know your thoughts and/or feelings. The next episode will be up soon. Again, thanks for sticking with the story, I really appreciate it. :)**


	16. Promised Land Sneak Peak

**Oh my gosh guys! Major apologies for not updating like I used to. I've been SUPER busy lately and I've had a lot of family obligations that needed tended to. **

**So in hopes that you don't hate me too much, I'm giving you a sneak peak of the next chapter. **

**Please review! Let me know if your excited about the full chapter or if you are annoyed with my inconsistent uploading. :) Again, major apologies. I hope you enjoy! :) **

* * *

"He said you promised to bring him back." Bonnie translated for Enzo.

_"Ah. You're paraphrasing. Charlie promised, and Damon said he would help bring me back. He hasn't been doing much helping." _Enzo said.

"Whatever." Bonnie waved off, she basically said the same thing.

"Hello! Still here. And I know what I said." Damon said, not liking that he was only hearing one part of the conversation.

_"Remind him that his track record for keeping promises is a little on the dodgy side." _

"Please stop talking." Bonnie said with growing frustration.

_"The other side is on the brink of collapse. I plan on pestering all of you until I'm safely returned to the land of the living." _Enzo pushed.

"You really think Charlie is going to stop looking for a way to save you, _ever_?" Bonnie asked. She had been filled in on the epic romance and tragedy that is Enzo and Charlie. She understood that Charlie would stop at nothing to bring him back.

"Exactly. So why don't you cool your jets." Damon informed.

_"Tell him I'll cool my jets when he gets off his ass and starts helping his sister." _Enzo sneered.

"You need to fix this before I lose my mind." Bonnie told Damon.

"Hey! I'm sorry. I've got two missing doppelgängers; I've got a Traveler that wants to rid our town of magic; I've got the friendly banker, Mr. Sikes, in the coat closet; and I've got a sister who doesn't even want to hear her twin brother's voice. So your escape is going to have to wait till tomorrow." Damon said into the air, not really knowing where Enzo was.

Enzo picked up a decanter of alcohol and threw it into the fireplace. Charlie's emotions were on the brink of overflowing, he's seen it. How she cries herself to sleep at the night from the worry that she might not be able to save him in time; that her relationship with her brother will never be the same again; that the Travelers will succeed in riding the town of magic, therefore taking away the only place she's ever really called home. She's been pushing herself both physically and emotionally and everything was about to collapse if she didn't get some help, fast.

But it's not like Damon didn't see it. Charlie wore a mask that, to the untrained eye, would make it appear as if she has everything under control. But he knew better. Damon knew the façade she was keeping was just that; a façade. Damon was trying everything he could to keep her together. And without his help, Charlie would have probably already lost it by now.

"I think he wants to be penciled in for today." Bonnie said with a slight wince.

"Damon! What the hell is going on down here?" Charlie said, walking down the stairs and into the parlor. She'd heard yelling earlier but didn't think anything of it considering that was a common occurrence now-a-days. But when she heard things being thrown and glass breaking, then she figured she should find out what was going on.

"Enzo's here. And he's throwing a fit because I'm not paying enough attention to him." Damon sassed to Charlie.

"So what's the problem?" Charlie asked Bonnie, knowing she could get a straight answer from her.

"Enzo's a little upset because he's not back yet. I've told him time and time again that it's not that simple, but he won't let it go." Bonnie informed her.

"Alright, Enzo." She said, not focusing on one area since she didn't know where he was. "I've been working non-stop to find a way to get you back. Plus searching for Stefan, _plus_ trying to find a way to stop the Travelers from turning Mystic Falls into their personal spa resort. Add that all up and that's one pissed off Charlie. So if you throw something again, like a child who didn't get there way, when you finally are back on this side, I will kick your ass for breaking yet another one of the pieces from my crystal set. So _chill out_." Charlie ranted. It was nice to get some of that frustration out.

All was quiet in the Salvatore boarding house as they collected themselves from Charlie's burst. Damon could see it helped her get her mind set a little bit more. Let go of some anger and your head feels clearer.

Enzo let out a low whistle that only Bonnie could hear. _"Tell her she's sexy when she's angry." _

Bonnie looked at Enzo wide eyed. "I'm not telling her that!"

"Telling me what?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, nothing." Bonnie muttered, not wanting to repeat what Enzo said to her friend.

"Look, Bonnie, Liv is cooking up a spell to pull you back from the other side before it's destroyed right? So whatever you're doing, just include Enzo in it alright." Charlie decided. "Alright, Enzo." She said into the air. "Grab a ride with her and ta-da, you're back in the land of the living and we can finally cross one problem off the extremely long list of problems."

* * *

**Please let me know your thoughts and/or feelings. :)**


	17. Promised Land

**Hey everyone! Just a quick A/N before you read this chapter.**

**My goodness… I am so sorry that it's taken me forever to update. But have no fear… a new chapter is here! **

**Some of you have asked if I will continue this story into season six and the answer is….. YES! I just haven't decided if I will keep it with this story or make another one as a sequel to it. What do you think?**

**Alright, enough rambling. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please, please, ****_please_**** let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! ****J**

* * *

**Promised Land 5x21**

* * *

"Seriously? Collect calls are still a thing?" Damon asked Stefan over the phone.

Stefan and Elena had been missing for the past four days and Charlie and Damon had been searching for them since. Honestly, Charlie wanted to stop looking, stop caring but no matter how hard she tried to push it away, there was a constant worry in the back of her brain about whether Stefan was okay. Curse her kind and caring heart!

Currently, Damon and Charlie were in the Salvatore living room, glad to hear that Stefan and Elena are alive. Well, for Charlie, she was glad that Stefan was alive, her opinion on Elena lately hasn't been the greatest.

"Yeah, well, you know what could have saved you the cost of this phone call? You finding us." Stefan said, pissed off. "How long have we been gone?"

"Four days." Damon answered as Charlie stood up from her spot in the chair.

"Four days?!" Stefan asked incredulously. "Four days and you couldn't track us down? What did you think? We were having a nice spa getaway?"

Charlie scoffed and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "He really wants to play the blame game right now?"

Stefan heard her over the phone, and given that she was absolutely correct, he shut his mouth on the subject.

"Besides, we have been searching 24/7 since you two disappeared okay?" Damon told his brother. "Maybe if you would've been a little more perceptive, you wouldn't have gotten yourselves doppel-napped." A loud crash could be heard over the phone. "What the hell was that?"

"Travelers drained us of our blood, so we're having to do a little hunting." Stefan explained as Elena was trying to work a sling-shot.

"You have Elena participating in squirrel slaughter?" Damon asked incredulously.

"Believe me, she's no happier about it than I am." Stefan said. He'd been on that diet before, not exactly appetizing, but it gets the job done.

"Mhmm. She'll shoot your eye out." Damon taunted.

"Do you want to talk to her, or are you still pretending you don't want to hear her voice?" Stefan mocked back.

"Don't psychoanalyze me, Stefan." Damon demanded. "Where are you? I'll come get you. Oh, better yet I'll send Charlie."

Charlie scoffed, standing up from the chair. "Don't count on it. He's alive, that's all I care about. Either you go get them or they're hitching a ride." She said bitterly causing Damon to smirk at her.

"Doesn't matter." Stefan said. "I have no idea where we are. We're in the middle of nowhere. Listen, we'll make our way back, but Markos drained most of our blood – and considering the kinds of spells he was able to do with just a little bit of it…"

"Yeah, I know." Damon cut in. "Find Markos; kill Markos; save Mystic Falls from becoming traveler home. It's going to be a busy day for me, Stefan. Time to strap on the hero hair."

Charlie cleared her throat and glared at Damon.

"With his trusty sidekick, Charlie of course." Damon amended earning an eye roll from her.

"I'll get Elena home safely, alright Damon?"

"Of course he will." Charlie muttered under her breath too low for either Damon or Stefan to hear. She was tired of hearing the conversation so she left the room. As long as Elena was safe that's all that mattered right? Doesn't matter who else gets hurt in the process, but it's all worth it as long as Elena is okay. Right? WRONG! Why was Stefan putting all of his time to Elena, his EX-girlfriend? When she hears of all the ways that Stefan will protect Elena, and when he goes on about how he'll make sure she's safe, even after everything that happened, it just digs the knife in her heart a little deeper.

"Get both yourselves home safely, brother. I'd hate to have to kick her ass for losing you." Damon said, ending the conversation.

Damon sat the phone down, when out of nowhere he was hit in the chest with a piece of wood, courtesy of Enzo.

_"Still here, mate." _Enzo said from the other side.

"Bonnie!" Damon yelled.

* * *

"He said you promised to bring him back." Bonnie translated for Enzo.

_"Ah. You're paraphrasing. Charlie promised, and Damon said he would help bring me back. He hasn't been doing much helping." _Enzo said.

"Whatever." Bonnie waved off, she basically said the same thing.

"Hello! Still here. And I know what I said." Damon said, not liking that he was only hearing one part of the conversation.

_"Remind him that his track record for keeping promises is a little on the dodgy side." _

"Please stop talking." Bonnie said with growing frustration.

_"The other side is on the brink of collapse. I plan on pestering all of you until I'm safely returned to the land of the living." _Enzo pushed.

"You really think Charlie is going to stop looking for a way to save you, _ever_?" Bonnie asked. She had been filled in on the epic romance and tragedy that is Enzo and Charlie. She understood that Charlie would stop at nothing to bring him back.

"Exactly. So why don't you cool your jets." Damon informed.

_"Tell him I'll cool my jets when he gets off his ass and starts helping his sister." _Enzo sneered.

"You need to fix this before I lose my mind." Bonnie told Damon.

"Hey! I'm sorry. I've got two missing doppelgängers; I've got a Traveler that wants to rid our town of magic; I've got the friendly banker, Mr. Sikes, in the coat closet; and I've got a sister who doesn't even want to hear her twin brother's voice. So your escape is going to have to wait till tomorrow." Damon said into the air, not really knowing where Enzo was.

Enzo picked up a decanter of alcohol and threw it into the fireplace. Charlie's emotions were on the brink of overflowing, he's seen it. How she cries herself to sleep at the night from the worry that she might not be able to save him in time; that her relationship with her brother will never be the same again; that the Travelers will succeed in riding the town of magic, therefore taking away the only place she's ever really called home. She's been pushing herself both physically and emotionally and everything was about to collapse if she didn't get some help, fast.

But it's not like Damon didn't see it. Charlie wore a mask that, to the untrained eye, would make it appear as if she has everything under control. But he knew better. Damon knew the façade she was keeping was just that; a façade. Damon was trying everything he could to keep her together. And without his help, Charlie would have probably already lost it by now.

"I think he wants to be penciled in for today." Bonnie said with a slight wince.

"Damon! What the hell is going on down here?" Charlie said, walking down the stairs and into the parlor. She'd heard yelling earlier but didn't think anything of it considering that was a common occurrence now-a-days. But when she heard things being thrown and glass breaking, then she figured she should find out what was going on.

"Enzo's here. And he's throwing a fit because I'm not paying enough attention to him." Damon sassed to Charlie.

"So what's the problem?" Charlie asked Bonnie, knowing she could get a straight answer from her.

"Enzo's a little upset because he's not back yet. I've told him time and time again that it's not that simple, but he won't let it go." Bonnie informed her.

"Alright, Enzo." She said, not focusing on one area since she didn't know where he was. "I've been working non-stop to find a way to get you back. Plus searching for Stefan, _plus_ trying to find a way to stop the Travelers from turning Mystic Falls into their personal spa resort. Add that all up and that's one pissed off Charlie. So if you throw something again, like a child who didn't get there way, when you finally are back on this side, I will kick your ass for breaking yet another one of the pieces from my crystal set. So _chill out_." Charlie ranted. It was nice to get some of that frustration out.

All was quiet in the Salvatore boarding house as they collected themselves from Charlie's burst. Damon could see it helped her get her mind set a little bit more. Let go of some anger and your head feels clearer.

Enzo let out a low whistle that only Bonnie could hear. _"Tell her she's sexy when she's angry." _

Bonnie looked at Enzo wide eyed. "I'm not telling her that!"

"Telling me what?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, nothing." Bonnie muttered, not wanting to repeat what Enzo said to her friend.

"Look, Bonnie, Liv is cooking up a spell to pull you back from the other side before it's destroyed right? So whatever you're doing, just include Enzo in it alright." Charlie decided. "Alright, Enzo." She said into the air. "Grab a ride with her and ta-da, you're back in the land of the living and we can finally cross one problem off the extremely long list of problems."

"That's not a great idea." Bonnie started before she was interrupted by Jeremy's entrance.

"You called?" Jeremy asked Damon.

"You. I need you and your x-box buddy to run an errand for me. Charlie, stay here and wait for Stefan and Elena to get back and please, _please_, try not to kill him okay? Now, come on hunter, let's go." Damon said and walked out with Jeremy following, leaving no room for discussion.

"I hate it when he tells me what to do." Charlie said and walked back up to her room.

Even though Enzo wanted to follow her, he figured her idea to bring him back was the best one they had yet. _"Well? What are you waiting for? Ring up your little witchy friend and get her over here." _

* * *

"Ahh! Great. I'm going to add 'carrying' to the list of things you can't do well, but that's okay. You can repay me with your salary from the grill… if you want to work a couple thousand years." Damon said angrily.

Matt and Jeremy were carrying in the last of the Travelers and had ended up knocking over an antique vase.

"Why don't you do us all a favor and start dating Elena again." Matt quipped.

"Just put her on the table." Damon said, ending that conversation before it could even start.

"What the hell is going on?" Caroline asked walking in followed by an angry looking Charlie.

"Why are all these people in my house?" Charlie asked.

"Hey, it's my house too, little sister." Damon said then gestured around the room. "These are Traveler husks. They've passengered themselves into the beautiful citizens of Mystic Falls, like dear Mr. Sikes." Damon then turned his attention back to Matt and Jeremy. "You two, make yourselves useful. Patrol the town; call me if you see anything weirder than usual."

"What are you planning on doing with all of them?" Caroline asked while Charlie kicked aside a Traveler.

"Well, Markos put them in a cave. I'm hoping he wants them back."

"You think drawing Markos to your house is the best idea?"

"It's the only idea! Unless your body snatched ex-boyfriend in the basement can help us." Damon offered.

"Julian is not Tyler." Caroline defended strongly. "Therefore, he has no reason to help us. So until I figure out a way to get Tyler back, he's just extra baggage."

"There's no shame in giving up. I mean, aren't we all a little sick of Tyler?" Damon taunted.

"You know what? Your whole 'too cool to care' thing is really starting to get old." Caroline told him. "Don't think for one second that I believe your mood has nothing to do with Elena."

"Spare me the unsolicited relationship advice." Damon added with frustration.

"Fine! Just keep your torture happy hands away from Tyler until I figure something out. I don't abandon the people I care about." Caroline said and sashayed out of the boarding house.

Charlie smirked at her brother. "You're such a people person."

"Oh, can it." Damon said and offered her a drink. "How are you holding up?"

Charlie sighed and downed half of her drink. "I'm still breathing. That's a plus right?"

"Charlie."

Charlie avoided his gaze but knew she couldn't avoid the subject. "Slowly losing it." She admitted. "I mean, not only are we fighting against the 'Take Over of the Travelers,' the other side is falling apart, Stefan was missing… and Enzo is still dead." She said dejectedly.

"I know. But we have a plan for the Travelers, Stefan's alive and on his way back now, and once Enzo is back on this side, which Bonnie has a plan for, we won't care if the other side falls apart." Damon tried to console but Charlie was still silent. "What's going on Charlie?"

"What if it doesn't work?" She asked in a small voice. "What if this plan that Bonnie has doesn't work and Enzo's gone forever? I mean, I _want_, so badly to believe that this will work. That Enzo will come back and Bonnie will be safe, but it's not like our luck in the past has pulled through for us so why would it now?"

"Listen to me." Damon said, looking her in the eye. "We _will_ get Enzo back. Understand? I know our luck doesn't have a very good track record, but this will all work out, okay? But why do I have a feeling that Enzo isn't the only thing on your mind?"

Charlie sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration before pacing back and forth. "It's Stefan. I mean, when I found out he killed Enzo… I froze. I've told you guys a million times that I would never hate you; that you're my brothers and no matter what you do, I will always love you. But honestly, I'm closer to hating Stefan than I ever have been.

"Stefan killed Enzo for _Elena_. Stefan came to Mystic Falls for _Elena_. Both of you have killed ruthlessly for _Elena. _Stefan went after the cure for _Elena!_ Why is everything around here always about Elena! It just seems like Stefan has done more for Elena in the past three years than he has _ever_ done for me. Why am I showing him a kindness by not hating him when he's done nothing to earn it?!" She yelled, fed up with the way things are.

Everything that's happened since they got to Mystic Falls was all about Elena. As long as Elena was happy and safe nothing else mattered.

Damon looked shocked at her outburst, not knowing she felt that way. "Charlie, where is all this coming from? I understand you don't like Stefan right now. Hell, I'm not his biggest fan either. But this isn't like you. When did you start feeling this way?" Damon could read his sister like a book. So her confession and hostility towards Elena came as a surprise to him.

"Damon, the only thing that has mattered since we got to Mystic Falls was Elena's happiness and safety. And I went along with it, I was happy to as long as my brothers' were happy. Then I got Enzo back." She said with a happy, watery eyed smile. "And everything was good; albeit you and Elena were constantly fighting but that's nothing new. In general we were happy. But once again, Elena was in danger. And since her safety and happiness was all that _ever_ matters, he killed Enzo without a second thought. Without thinking, 'Hmm, I wonder how this is going to affect Charlie.' Why does Elena get happiness and I don't? I mean, what have I done that is **_so_**terrible, that I don't get my happily ever after? I think after all I've been through I deserve that much."

"You're right. You do Charlie." Damon agreed. He never knew that Charlie felt this way. He never knew how much these things affected her. Damon felt sad, not only at her pain, but at knowing he didn't know Charlie as well as he thought he did.

"You're damn right I do. I _deserve_, to have Enzo with me. I _deserve_ happiness. Call it selfish, I don't care. So right now," Charlie started, tears about to leak from her eyes no matter how hard she fought them. "The **_only_** thing keeping me together, is getting Enzo back." She said. Not wanting Damon to see her cry she turned around ready to flee to her room.

"Charlie wait!" Damon stopped her. "I understand how you feel. You're hurt and in pain. I get that I do. And I'm sorry if you felt like I haven't cared about your happiness or that I've put Elena ahead of you. But I don't. Elena and I might not ever make it. We may spend the rest of eternity in an ongoing battle, but you will always be my sister. Nothing will ever change that. So no matter what happens, I will _always_ be there for you. You know that right?"

Charlie smiled sadly. She knew her brothers loved her, just as she loved them. But she didn't feel like she mattered that much to Stefan. At least one of her brothers took the time to let her know they cared. Because if killing Enzo was Stefan's way of showing her he cared, then she didn't want him to care. "I know, Damon."

"But I have to know." Damon said, stopping her from leaving again. "With all that's happened… how do you feel about Elena?"

"Honestly?" Charlie asked. "If you weren't in love with her I would have killed her a long time ago." She admitted and walked away.

Damon was left in shock. How could Charlie feel that way and he had no idea? She was better at hiding things from him than he thought. He was left to wonder, if Charlie was hiding how she felt about Elena and he didn't even know… what else was she able to keep from him?

* * *

As soon as Charlie walked into her room, she felt Enzo's presence and she instantly felt calmer.

"Hey." She said into the air.

_"Hello, Gorgeous." _Enzo said with a smile even though she couldn't hear him.

Charlie sighed. "Look, I know things have been crazy around here lately, but I don't want you to feel like I forgot about you. Trust me, I haven't. But I promise you Enzo, I will stop at nothing to get you back."

_"I know, sweetheart, I know. But you know how impatient I am. I just want to get back to you." _Enzo said.

"God, I wish I could hear you right now." She said, feeling like she was having a conversation with herself.

_"Me too, Charlie." _

Charlie sat down on her bed and felt the invisible presence of Enzo sit down next to her. Her hair moved by what appeared to be on it's own, but was really Enzo running his hand through her hair.

_"You are so beautiful." _Enzo said and stared at the beauty before him. _"I know this is a lot for you, but we have a plan. I'm hitching a ride with Bonnie, and before you know it I'll be back on this side and we can leave this God forsaken town. We can be happy again. But this is eating away at you. Why don't you go downstairs and help Damon with the Travelers, set your mind on something else for a while? Maybe if you focus on something that'll calm you down a bit." _Enzo said. For a moment, he forgot that she couldn't hear or see him.

Charlie sighed after a few minutes of silence, not knowing Enzo was talking the whole time. "I should probable go see Damon. I kind of left with the sudden knowledge that I would kill his girlfriend if he wasn't in love with her. Because like the _good_ sister I am, I don't kill the people my family loves." She said with a bit of harshness.

Enzo smirked. _"That's my girl. You go help Damon, and leave the rest to me. I will get back to you Charlie, I promise." _

* * *

Charlie walked back downstairs to see Damon poking a traveler on the head. She was a lot calmer after being in Enzo's presence. Damn she missed him.

"Hey." Damon said cautiously. "You okay?"

Charlie smiled at her brother. "I'm fine."

Damon was about to say something else when his phone started ringing. He had a funny suspicion who it was, so he shot Charlie a smirk and answered with, "Salvatore Boarding House."

"I'm calling about my people." Markos replied, ignoring Damon's sarcasm.

"Hey! You found my note!" Damon while Charlie shook her head at his antics. "Now listen, don't be offended but I can't just give them to anyone. So, what do they look like?"

"They're ragged; beaten down by the world, desperate for a home…" Markos said entering the Salvatore house. Charlie looked at him and sensing no immediate threat waited for Damon to figure it out for himself.

"You just described homeless people, Asians, and Matt Donovan." Damon mocked.

"One of them is 5'10, wearing a black coat… You're standing next to him."

Damon turned around to see Markos standing in the middle of his living room. He looked over at Charlie with a 'What the hell, why didn't you warn me' face.

She just shrugged her shoulders and said, "You would have seen him eventually."

"Yeah? Before or after he killed me?" Damon sassed.

Charlie simply shrugged her shoulders again. "Well, you're not dead yet."

* * *

"Nice place." Markos said taking in the boarding house. "A little rustic. My tastes are a bit more modern, ironically. Still, good bones and all." He said and knocked on the wall.

"I think you read the flyer wrong." Damon informed him. "See, the bodies are the only thing on the bargaining table… and in the attic… and in the garage."

"About that…" Markos started but Damon kept talking.

"And in the kitchen."

"Please tell me taking hostages isn't your grand plan. It feels a little… small; much like the half bathroom off the foyer."

"Oh, Damon, he's got a sense of humor." Charlie said to Damon causing him to grin at her.

Markos was about to say something back then he caught the smell in the air.

"Oh! If you're wondering about the smell, I have your salvation army doused in gasoline and Charlie over here is a little bit of an arsonist." Damon said and Charlie nodded her head in agreement.

Markos glanced at the youngest Salvatore. She was quite the beauty. It's a shame she was caught up in all of this.

"You're right!" Markos agreed. "None of this would be possible without their willingness to passenger themselves into your citizens and help perform my spell," He said taking out an oddly shaped dagger. "And while I'd like to give them the opportunity to return to their actual bodies…" He stabbed one of the travelers in the throat. "It's not essential to my plan."

Charlie and Damon glanced at each other in shock and curiosity that he had just killed one of his own.

"Did you really think you found the whole of my people? Travelers are everywhere. They're the faces that surround you every day… the world over… the ones you don't notice. Because you're too busy making a mess of all you have. They want those things too; a home, a family, a better life. And they're willing to die for it." Markos explained.

"You want a promised land." Damon stated. "I get it. Okay, but look; off the record, I mean, Mystic Falls is kind of a dump… bad school, terrible traffic, and forget about ever getting a decent cup of coffee."

"Mystic Falls is just a means to an end, like a small pebble dropped into a very large pond." Markos said and dropped an ice cube into his drink.

"Aw, how poetic, very sweet. But what the hell does that mean?" Charlie asked.

"Once we destroy the spirit magic in this town, the witch's curse will finally be broken, but from there, the spell will ripple outward, unravelling spirit magic as it spreads. Only pure magic – our magic – will remain. My people will be free to go wherever they choose. And when witch magic, and everything it ever created, is gone from this Earth, vampires will be too."

"I think I've heard about enough." Damon said and raced over to Markos only to be thrown across the room which put Charlie on defense.

"You underestimate me Damon. I've completely transfused myself to doppelgänger blood. I am channeling all the power of my people. You aren't strong enough to kill me anymore." Markos said then heard the faint humming. "Not that it matters. The spell has already begun." He said then knocked Damon out with his special, stupid, 'Traveler Magic.'

He then turned his attention to Charlie who was staring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Oh come on Charlie, don't look at me like that. He came at me, I was simply protecting myself." Markos offered.

"Wonderful. Now what? You knock me out too then burn the house down? Or better yet, you'll just kill Damon and I before your 'Traveler Magic' can do it right?" Charlie sassed.

Markos' eyebrows furrowed. "Now why would I want to kill you?"

Charlie looked at him as though he were stupid, (which he was.) "Considering you're getting rid of the magic that keeps me alive? I'd say that means you want me dead."

"You see, I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that." Markos said and took a step toward her but she just took a step back. "You don't have to be afraid of me Charlie."

"Oh, I'm not. I just don't like you." She said and gave him a sickly sweet smile.

Markos gave a light laugh. "You see, that's one thing I like about you. You're not afraid to speak your mind."

"I'm flattered." Charlie said flatly.

Markos smirked at her. "But there are other things too. You're brave, determined, stubborn. You're intelligent and strong. You can handle yourself in a fight. Not to mention… very beautiful."

Charlie looked at him, nervous of why he was saying these things. "You don't even know me."

"Ahh, you see, but I do." He said and started circling her like a predator stalking its prey. "I've done my research, have a few sources that have told me _all _about you. Charlotte Salvatore; youngest Salvatore sibling and twin to Stefan, died at the tragic young age of 17, killed by her twin no less, moved around a while, never staying in one place long until you were captured by the Augustines. It was there where you and you're brother were held for several years, beaten, tortured, forced to live a life of the unknown. This is also the place where you met that British fellow I met a while ago, Enzo. But when you and Damon escaped you thought you had lost him forever.

"You never loved again after that. Never met someone who could take away the pain and heartache. Come to find out that Enzo was alive. Yay! Everything was perfect and wonderful. But then, just a few days ago, he was killed. By your precious twin, and all because poor Elena was in danger."

Charlie stared at him in surprise and honestly, a little fear. How the hell did he know all of this about her? She played it off though. "Great. So you've heard my life story. I'll admit, it wasn't the best one but hey, there are worse. What about it?"

Markos tilted his head at her. By now he was standing just a few feet from her. "It just seems to me like you've been getting the short end of the stick for quite some time haven't you? Everyone else seems to come first. Everyone else's problems, safety, and happiness come before yours. When is it your turn?"

Charlie was determined not to let his words get to her. So she lifted her chin and said, "That's not true. It may seem that way but you don't know everything that's happened. All you got was the cliff notes on my life. Until you've lived it you don't know anything."

Markos smiled at her determination not to believe him. While she was right and he was only filled in on the gist of her time in Mystic Falls, what he was saying was still true. Everyone else came before Charlie. "I admire your determination to believe in the best; to hope that everything I just said was simply a… misunderstanding. But you and I both know that I'm right."

"And so what if you are?" Charlie asked, confused as to where he was going with this. Why he was digging the knife that had been in her heart a little deeper than it already was? "What does that have to do with anything? So what if other people come before me? So what if other people's problems and safety are more important than mine? So what if my happiness doesn't matter?!" She practically shouted.

Markos felt like he was finally breaking through that rough exterior of hers. "That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you Charlie. Your happiness _should_ matter. You deserve that. After all you've given up; love, happiness, your _life_, you deserve a chance to be happy."

Charlie scoffed. "And what, you're gonna give that to me? You're going to make all my problems go away?"

"Well, yes." Markos said simply.

To say Charlie was shocked would be an understatement. Jaw dropped, eyes wide, SHOCKED! "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"I can solve all of your problems, Charlie. The spell I cast will get rid of the magic in this town; including those brothers and supposed 'friends' of yours. You'll no longer be put after everyone else. You'll no longer have to worry about their safety or happiness because they'll be long gone. You can stay here, and you can be happy." Markos said.

He really looked like he meant it. However, there are SOOOOOO many things wrong with what he just said.

"Alright, I think all that 'extra strength' has gone to your head. If my brothers and friends leave, I won't see them, simple as that. And if this plan of yours works, they'll die without that magic. We may have problems and I may not like Stefan right now, but that doesn't mean I want him dead. Now onto the final problem, if you get rid of magic in this town, how am I supposed to live? A broken neck and magic turned me into a vampire. Subtract magic and all I have is a broken neck; thus, I'm dead."

"But I can fix that. I have a spell that will allow you, and only you, to remain a vampire even though that unnatural magic will be non-existent." Markos explained.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed. "Why only me?"

"Because that's what I choose." Markos said. At Charlie's confused face he explained further. "I can perform this spell on anyone. However I won't allow just anyone to continue to live here. You, however, I'd be more than happy to allow continuing to live. Vampire magic and all."

Charlie turned her back on Markos, which in hind sight probably wasn't the best idea, but her head was a jumble of thoughts. He would allow her to stay here, as a vampire, while he's sending everyone else away. Why? What's his motive?

She turned back to Markos. "Why me? What makes me so special that I get the 'grand gift' of staying in Mystic Falls while all of my family and friends are going to die?"

"Did you not hear me earlier? Fine, I'll put it simply. I've taken an interest in you. You have a unique personality that includes a level of kindness and sincerity for those you love (including those who don't deserve it,) but you also have a sense of danger about you that is required to survive in this world. Those are qualities that I admire." Markos said shocking Charlie even further than she already was.

Silence. Complete and utter silence filled the Salvatore living room after Markos' confession. Thoughts were bouncing off of each other inside of her skull. Why? Why her? When did this happen? What was he thinking? She doesn't even know the guy!

Charlie took a deep breath. "Okay. You are clearly delusional! Why in the hell would I _ever _be interested in you? Why would I turn my back on my family and everything I know for some psychotic Traveler bent on destroying life as I know it? You don't even know me! And you know that _British guy_ you mentioned earlier? Yeah, there's also the fact that I'm still IN LOVE WITH HIM!" She shouted.

Markos simply smirked at her. If Charlie was in a cartoon, her face would be red, smoke coming out of her ears, and with any luck, an anvil would have dropped on Markos right now. Unfortunately, this wasn't a cartoon and there would be no anvils arriving to save the day.

"See, that right there. There's feistiness in you, a fire below the surface just begging to make itself known. And I hate to say it, well not really, but Enzo is dead. Don't you think it's time to move on?"

"Well, _Markos," _she practically sneered his name. "You sure know how to flatter a girl. It's obvious you've never been _close _to being in love. When you love someone, you don't just _move on_ when they die. You grieve. You grieve for the good memories you share, the happiness they brought you, the times when you were frustrated with them beyond belief that seem so stupid now. You grieve for the regrets you have, things you never told them but should have, you wish you could talk to them just one more time and tell them _just how much_ you love them. How lost you are without them. But most of all… you grieve for what could have been. For everything you'll never be able to experience or do together. For the hopes and dreams that will never be. The things you wish **_so desperately_**could happen but know they never will.

"It _breaks _you. Especially for a vampire. With our heightened emotions, when your heat breaks, it shatters. You feel as if you'll never be whole again. Like nothing you can ever do will fill the space in your chest that used to be your heart." Charlie realized she had gotten way off track. But once she started voicing how torn up she was about Enzo she couldn't stop. She got herself together again. "So, no. It's not time to _move on._"

Markos was a little shocked at what she just said. The emotion she felt that she so easily concealed. But he moved past it quickly. "While that confession was touching, it doesn't pertain to me and our current situation."

Charlie laughed without humor. She walked up to him, standing just inches from him and bit out, "Well maybe this will pertain more to you. You can take your offer, and shove it up your Traveler ass, cause it's never gonna happen."

With that, Charlie took her leave. Unbeknownst to anyone, Enzo was standing in the room the entire time.

_"This jackass tried to move in on my girl. Not even a week and he's trying to replace me." _

Enzo wanted nothing more than to take Markos' face and bash it against the wall, but with him being a 'super Traveler,' he decided to go after Charlie instead.

Earlier, Enzo had overheard Bonnie telling Caroline that there was no way back to this side. Bull shit! If that way didn't work, you find a new way. Simple as that. Then he heard Charlie practically pour her heart out and another crack appeared in his heart. You know, the one that Stefan tore out.

He'd get back on this side. Nothing was stopping him. He'd do it with or without Bonnie. But one thing was for sure, he and Charlie _will _be together again.

* * *

Bonnie was carrying a few boxes out to her car with a heavy heart.

Enzo appeared behind her angry, no _furious_, with Bonnie. _"When did you plan on telling me? Were you just hoping the darkness would come take me before the awful truth came out?"_ Bonnie turned around but didn't say anything. _"Answer me!" _

"Don't you get it?" She asked Enzo. "There is no solution."

_"There's always a solution. Your boyfriend came back from the dead; Markos came back from the dead; _you_ came back from the dead!" _

"The travelers used doppelgänger blood in that spell to bring Markos back, which means, they basically destroyed the magic that holds the other side together. It's unraveling and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. It's over, Enzo. You're not coming back. Accept it." Bonnie explained.

_"I will accept it when that darkness comes and yanks me to oblivion. I will accept it when I no longer exist. I spent over 50 years stuck in a cell; poked, prodded, tortured. I met Charlie there, and then I lost her. By all rights, I had no hope of ever getting out and seeing her again, but I clung to it. So, I will accept it when it's done… not a minute prior." _Enzo told the ex-witch. He _refused_ to believe that he and Charlie would never be together again.

Bonnie understood what he was saying. He just wanted to be with Charlie. Hell, she was in the same situation because when the other side is gone, so is she. She picked up the box she set down earlier when she saw the Traveler, Maria, waiting to pass through to the other side.

"I know you… you tried to kill me boyfriend in the caves…" Bonnie said to Maria.

_"What's going on?" _Enzo asked.

"A Traveler just died." She told him.

_"Tell my husband I tried." _Maria said before crossing over to the other side.

* * *

Damon finally came-to a little while later. He woke up in the living room to see Markos sitting on the couch, looking as comfortable as ever, but Charlie was nowhere to be found.

"Where's my sister?" Damon said after a couple groans, waking himself up.

"She's fine. She went upstairs a while ago. She has quite the temper you know that?" Markos asked rhetorically. He stood up and started making his way around the room like he was inspecting it.

Damon answered anyway. "Who do you think she gets it from? You know, I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I'm not familiar with traveler cuisine. Plus, I think Charlie would kill me."

"I think I'll knock this wall down." Markos said, ignoring Damon. "I love an open-floor plan."

"Damon." Julian said from the basement since he was listening in on the conversation with his hybrid hearing. "He doesn't know I'm here. Use the element of surprise. Not sure you're clever enough to pull it off. Just thought I'd put it out there."

"Well, all I can ask is that you leave me with a couple good bottles of wine." Damon said to Markos. "You know, I spent half my life shop-lifting stuff. I assume you want to see the wine cellar?"

Markos agreed and the two of them made their way down to the basement where Damon was looking through the wine collection. "Ahh. Here's something you don't see every day." Damon said. He picked up the bottle of wine expecting to see the key he had hidden there only to find it gone. Damon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He could have sworn he put it there. "I, uh, I think I won this in a poker game. Or… or maybe Stefan brought it back from the war. I don't remember."

"Where is your brother? I was hoping he'd be here. The doppelgängers seem to have slipped away without saying goodbye." Markos asked.

"That's a good question." He said referring to Markos, but also to his own question of the missing key. "Why don't we find out? After you." He told Markos and began to leave the room. He was looking around on the floor to see if maybe the key fell. He passed the cell Julian was in and looked in as Julian was holding up the key for Damon to see. When did he get that?

Julian mouthed the name 'Charlie' to Damon and now it all made sense. She was listening in on their conversation earlier. Oh, Charlie, you sneaky little devil.

* * *

"Well, Stefan isn't picking up, so. He might just be out of cell phone minutes." Damon said to Markos sarcastically. Although, he did wonder why Stefan wouldn't answer.

Markos heard noises in the other room and it just confirmed his suspicions that Damon was up to something. "What kind of games are you playing?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Julian jumps on Markos' back and bit into his neck. Markos threw Julian off of him and Julian felt his teeth for where fangs should be, but there were none.

"My fangs… what the hell happened to my fangs?" Julian asked.

"What?" Damon said, just as confused. He walked towards Julian, but as he passed in front of the window, his skin started to burn. "We have a problem. Charlie!"

"Damon!" Charlie yelled from upstairs, worried that something happened to Damon. "What's wrong?"

Charlie had stopped directly in front of the window and sunlight but… her skin wasn't burning. "Why aren't you burning?" Damon asked her, stunned.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"You know that spell I was telling you about?" Markos asked her, catching both of their attention. "It's already been done. You see, you had a very quick death. Snap of the neck. I did offer you the chance to stay in Mystic Falls. This is my proof that I was serious."

"What? What is he talking about?" Damon asked, completely confused.

"He has a 'thing' for me, I guess. He said something about allowing me to stay in Mystic Falls and blah, blah, blah." She told Damon then turned to Markos. "This doesn't change my decision."

Damon suddenly bent over in pain, grabbing at his torso where a pool of blood was collecting. Since he died by a shot to the stomach, he was about to die the same way if he didn't get out of Mystic Falls.

"Like I said," Markos informs them. "This spell will continue to unravel spirit magic as it spreads, which mean you're not long for this world. My offer stands until tomorrow Charlie. As for you two," He gestured to Damon and Julian. "The sun's about to set. Feel free to buy yourself a little time to say your goodbyes. You can try to outrun the spell… for a little while, anyway."

Julian took off through the front door, followed shortly by Charlie and Damon. Charlie had her arm around Damon, helping support him. They got to the edge of the property and looked back longingly at the only place in 100 years they were able to call home.

They took a shortcut through the woods to reach the road quicker. A car pulled up revealing Jeremy.

"Little Gilbert." Damon breathed. "I have never been so happy to see you."

"Get in." Jeremy instructs.

"So pushy." Charlie said with a smile as she helped Damon into the passenger seat, hoping in the back herself as Jeremy drove to safety.

* * *

A car pulled up in front of Matt, Elena, and Stefan revealing Jeremy, Damon, and Charlie. Elena raced to the car in front of Damon.

"Are you okay?" She asked frantically. Before he could reply, she kissed him.

Stunned, Damon asked, "What was that for?"

"I had a really crappy day and I needed it." Elena quoted Damon from when he surprised her with a kiss at the cabin. "I thought I was never going to see you again and I couldn't think of a worse way to die."

"Well, I guess today is your lucky day." Damon told her.

Stefan cut in. "Jeremy, head back with Matt. We need eyes and ears in Mystic Falls. You guys take Jeremy's car. I'm going to wait here for Caroline and Bonnie." Stefan told the humans.

"I'll call you in a few hours, Jer." Damon told him.

"Be careful." Jeremy said before he and Matt drove away.

"So, little sis. Have you thought anymore about Markos' offer?" Damon asked Charlie.

"Wait, what offer?" Stefan wanted to know.

"Long story short, Markos has the hots for Charlie, he offered her protection, and that offer has an expiration date. We just need her answer." Damon quickly explained before turning back to Charlie wanting her answer.

Charlie scoffed at him. "You're an idiot for thinking I would even _consider_, taking up his offer." Charlie said and walked away from the group.

Damon went to follow her but was stopped by Stefan. "Let me talk to her."

Stefan walked over to where Charlie was staring off at nothing. He stood beside her for a minute waiting to see if she would say anything. When she didn't, he broke the silence. "Look, Charlie…"

"Don't Stefan." Charlie interrupted. "Don't apologize. Don't tell me how much you regret it. Don't tell me how you feel guilty or whatever it is you were going to say. Because the truth is I don't care." She told him frankly. "When all this is over; when the Travelers are dead, when Mystic Falls is magic friendly again, and when Enzo is back… it's not going to matter. Don't get me wrong, I'm still none-to-thrilled with you right now. But whatever apologies you have for me just save them. Because in the end it doesn't matter."

Stefan didn't know what to say to that. "So you don't hate me? I mean, I would if I were you."

"Stefan," Charlie said turning to her brother. "I know how much guilt you carry with you. I see it every day. I'm not going to add onto what you already have. Now, I want you to listen to me closely, I do NOT hate you. I love you, like I always will. However, I don't _like _you right now. Do you see the difference? Do I forgive you for killing Enzo? No. Odds are I won't be forgiving you anytime soon. Don't try to make sense of it, because honestly, it doesn't make much sense to me either. But it's the best way to describe how I'm feeling right. Take it or leave it."

Stefan smiled slightly at her jumbled up speech. She's right, it didn't make sense. But what mattered is that she didn't hate him. That's more than he can ask for and more than he deserves. "I'll take it."

"Good. I was hoping you would. Now, I'm going to head out. Wrap my head around this _extremely_ messed up day. Call me if you need anything and I'll be back later." Charlie told him.

"Alright." Stefan said. He wrapped his arms around his sister thanking whoever was out there that she hugged him back. "I love you."

"Yeah, yeah. I love you, too." Charlie said. She sent a smile towards him before telling Damon what she was doing, then she left.

Charlie was tired. She was tired of holding on to all of this hostility towards Stefan. With everything going on right now, it just wasn't worth it. She didn't need any more frustration, worry, and stress to weigh down her mind. She had to let go of something.

Charlie didn't hate Stefan. She just couldn't. He was family, her twin; there's an unbreakable bond between all three Salvatore's that no one could ever understand. They couldn't explain it, but they could just… never hate each other. Damon may have acted like he hated Stefan, but he never did and never could.

The relationship between Charlie and Stefan was confusing. Neither one understood where they stood. One thing was for sure, they were still siblings; therefore, they still loved each other. It was far from perfect, but it was a start on the right track and that was all that mattered.

No one expected what would happen just a few hours later.

* * *

"Surreal isn't it?" Enzo asked Maria who was standing by her own body, dead behind the wheel of her car.

"Who are you?" She asked him, surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Dead, just like you, but I've got a proposition to get both of us out of this place." Enzo offered. He didn't care that he had to work with a Traveler. Hell, he'd deal with the devil himself if it meant getting back to Charlie.

"What are you talking about?"

"Markos managed to Houdini his way back to the land of the living with some crazy ass spell. Any chance you know it?" He asked hopefully.

"I know the spell." Maria confirmed. "But I don't know two dozen travelers willing to overwhelm the anchor.

"See, I think you underestimate how resourceful we are. Leave the details to us. What do you say? Interested?" Enzo asked.

"Why are you so gung-ho to get back?" Maria asked, noticing his pushiness and impatience.

"You mean aside from obvious reasons?" He asked. "I've got my girl to get back to. I need to get back to her before this 'darkness' comes and swallows me whole and I lose her forever. Now, I'm on a bit of a time crunch so what do you say? Will you help?" Enzo asked. He didn't really have time to explain to Maria why he was so desperate to get back to Charlie. He just needed to get back… NOW!

"Alright. Deal." Maria agreed.

Out of nowhere, the wind started picking up, signaling that 'darkness' Enzo had talked about.

"What the hell is happening?" Maria asked confused.

"Grab my hand." Enzo said reaching for her as the wind kept pulling her back. She was his only hope to see Charlie again.

"Help me!" Maria yelled over the roaring wind.

There wasn't much either of them could do. Unable to hold on any longer, the darkness ripped Maria away and into the sky. Taking her to the unknown.

Enzo dropped his shoulders in defeat and desperation. Why? Why was everything working against him to get back to the love of his existence? After everything both he and Charlie had went through didn't they deserve to at least have each other? Enzo would give up everything, _everything_, if it meant he could be with Charlie again. He wasn't going to stop now.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Bonnie asked Enzo. "Maria was the only one who was willing to help us who knew the spell."

_"The great beyond happened."_ Enzo told her_. "And it's going to keep happening, so we need to find a way out of here and fast!"_ Enzo stressed.

Bonnie looked behind Enzo and saw… Stefan. Oh no…

"Stefan…" Bonnie whispered.

Enzo turned around but didn't see anything behind him. "What?"

_"Bonnie…"_ Stefan said brokenly.

"This can't be happening."

_"Please tell me that you've figured out a way to bring us all back?"_ Stefan begged.

"I lost it… I'm sorry." Bonnie admitted with guilt and pain rushing through her.

Stefan looked down, utterly defeated. He looked back up at Bonnie_. "Tell Damon and Charlie that I'm sorry."_ With that, Stefan passed through to the other side… dead.

Bonnie yelled out in pain.

_"Who was it? What happened?!"_ Enzo practically yelled, fearing the worst.

Bonnie took a few deep breaths before responding. "It was Stefan."

Enzo's eyes widened. How in the hell did he get himself killed? And why of all times to die would it be _now_? The only thing that ran through his mind was one vampire in particular. How she was feeling? What she was doing? What was happening? He needed to get to Charlie.

Bonnie's phone started to ring, halting Enzo from disappearing in order to see who it was. She looked down at the caller I.D. and her face froze. How was Bonnie supposed to explain this to her?

_"Who is it?"_ Enzo asked, although from Bonnie's face… he knew

"Charlie…"

* * *

**Please review! Let me know your thoughts! :)**


	18. Home

Bonnie's phone started to ring, halting Enzo from disappearing in order to see who it was. She looked down at the caller I.D. and her face froze. How was Bonnie supposed to explain this to her?

_"Who is it?" _Enzo asked, although from Bonnie's face… he knew.

"Charlie…"

* * *

**Home**

* * *

_"You have to answer it. She needs to know what happened." _Enzo said from the other side.

"What am I supposed to say? You don't break this kind of news over the phone." Bonnie worried.

_"You're right. Just uh, tell her to come here and then… tell her the truth." _

Bonnie took a deep breath and braced herself before she finally managed to answer the phone. "Hey, Charlie."

"Hey, Bonnie." Charlie said. "I'm on my way to the Whitmore dorms. Have you seen Stefan? He was supposed to wait for you and Caroline and then meet up with Damon and Elena. They haven't heard from him. I can't really call him because he doesn't have a phone on him so I was wondering if you've seen him or Caroline around?"

Bonnie shared a panicked look with Enzo. Enzo motioned for her to say something, anything, because the silence wasn't much better.

"Um, no. I haven't seen either of them. Just, uh, meet me in my dorm and we'll figure something out?" Bonnie said. She shrugged her shoulders at Enzo like, 'what else was I supposed to say.'

"Alright, yeah. I'm only about five minutes away, so I'll see you then." Charlie said and hung up.

Bonnie let out a breath as she put her phone back in her pocket. "I don't know how to do this. What am I supposed to say Enzo? She's already heartbroken over you. If she finds out that Stefan's dead _and _I don't know how to bring you guys back…"

_"We'll find a way." _Enzo said, although he too had the same worries.

"What if… what if she can't handle it? What if she turns it off?" Bonnie worried. They've dealt with no humanity Elena, and she was a major bitch. They've dealt with no humanity Stefan, and he was a major dick. They've never seen Damon full blown no-humanity, but if Bonnie was guessing, Charlie would be more like him without humanity and that's just… so not good. What would happen if Charlie decided she just couldn't take it anymore?

But to be honest, Bonnie wouldn't blame her if she did. She lost Enzo (again,) Stefan's dead, the Travelers are trying to take over Mystic Falls, the Other Side is falling apart; the only thing holding Charlie together now is Damon… but what if that's not enough?

_"I don't know. Okay? I just don't know what to do. If she ends up flipping the switch… No. She won't. She-she can't. Not right now." _Enzo started to freak out. Charlie turning it off is one of his biggest fears. Because flipping the switch meant no humanity; no humanity meant no feelings; no feelings meant no love; no love meant Charlie didn't love Enzo. And as selfish as that may be, Enzo hated the thought of living in a world where Charlie didn't love him.

* * *

"Somebody help!"

Charlie heard screaming coming from the Whitmore parking lot. It sounded a lot like Caroline.

"Help me, please!" She heard her screaming again.

Without a second thought, Charlie raced to where she heard Caroline, but froze in her tracks at what she saw. Lying there on the ground, in Caroline's arms, was the dead, lifeless body of her twin brother.

"No." Charlie muttered to herself and dropped in front of Caroline. "No, no, no, no." She kept repeating. "Caroline what happened?" She asked frantically.

"It was Julian." Caroline cried, tears still streaming down her face. "He-he killed Stefan to get rid of the doppelgänger magic in their blood."

"No. He-he can't be dead. No it's not possible!" Charlie cried.

Everything was rushing to her at once. Before she knew it, the tears, sobs, and cries came. She yelled out for anyone who would listen to just make this not be real. Make this all one big horrible nightmare. But no matter how loud she screamed or how much she cried, she wasn't waking up. This was real, and Stefan was dead.

"I'm so sorry!" Charlie cried, clutching onto her brother. "I'm so sorry! I-I forgive you! I don't hate you! Everything's okay!" She yelled. She thought, maybe if she forgave him he would wake up. Maybe he was tricking her; trying to make her feel bad for the bitter feelings she was holding against him for killing Enzo. If that was the case then he won. She forgave him. But even after that… he was still dead.

Charlie and Caroline sat there together; crying over the loss of someone they both loved so much. Someone they would both die for. They hoped, prayed, and begged for anyone, anything that this wasn't real. But it was…

Stefan was gone.

* * *

"It's been twenty minutes. Where the hell is she?" Bonnie asked. She and Enzo had waited for Charlie. She said she was only five minutes away, what was taking so long.

They both heard the door open and turned to face the noise. Charlie came barging in, tears streaming down her face.

She grabbed Bonnie by the shoulders. "Please! Please tell me you know how to bring him back? Please tell me you can bring him back?!" She screamed frantically.

Enzo's heart broke, watching her and knowing there was nothing he could do to take away her pain. To fix her shattered heart. He couldn't even hold her while she cried and that hurt more than anything.

"Charlie. What-?" Bonnie asked. Dazed and confused. She wasn't expecting Charlie to show up like this.

"Stefan! He's dead! Julian killed him. But-but it's okay right? You-you can bring him back. Him and Enzo! You can bring them back, and then everything will be okay!" She begged hysterically.

"Charlie… I'm so sorry. I lost it." Bonnie practically whispered. She wanted nothing more than to tell her that she had the answer to all their problems. But she didn't.

Enzo and Bonnie could see the utter devastation in her eyes when Bonnie told her that she didn't know what to do to bring them back from the Other Side.

"No! No, no, no, no, no." She cried over and over again. She collapsed on her knees, burying her face in her hands and mourning for the loved ones that she lost. That she may never see again.

When Enzo died, her heart broke; it might as well have shattered into a million pieces knowing that the love of her life, her soul mate, which she already lost once, was dead. But she had a plan, she was determined to bring him back. That kept her together. She had a plan and a goal to focus on. She had something to work towards. She couldn't take the time to truly mourn him, because that was time wasted in bringing him back.

But now, Stefan is dead. And everything she was holding in from losing Enzo, is coming back twice as strong. Now, they've lost the only thing that would bring the both of them back. And every ounce of pain from losing Enzo and Stefan _plus_ how unlikely it is for them to ever come back… the pain was crippling.

"He can't be gone! He just can't. I can't-" Charlie continued to sob.

_"Bonnie, do something!" _Enzo yelled at the anchor. He couldn't stand seeing her in such pain.

Bonnie, too, was at a loss of what to do. How do you comfort someone who's lost so much in such a short amount of time?

"Charlie, I-I'm so sorry." Bonnie tried to comfort. She dropped down next to Charlie and wrapped her arms around her. She didn't know what to do, but she thought of something that might help Charlie, even if it's just a little bit. "Enzo is here."

Charlie couldn't stop crying though. She couldn't focus on one thing. Everything was rushing around in her head. Emotions, thoughts, feelings… it was too much.

"I-I can't Bonnie." Charlie sobbed.

Both Bonnie and Enzo knew what she was thinking. She was going to turn it off. Enzo couldn't let that happen.

_"Bonnie, translate for me."_ At Bonnie's nod of approval, he continued. _"Sweetheart, listen to me. I know you're hurt. I know you're in pain. But trust me when I say I will find a way back to you. I will find a way to get your brother back to you. Absolutely _nothing _will stop me from making sure that you have your brother again. But you've got to calm down. You've got to reel all of that emotion in. I know it's tough but you have to Charlie. If not for me, then for Damon. He's going to need you now more than ever. Can you do that for me?" _

Bonnie repeated everything Enzo told Charlie. Given Bonnie and Enzo's rough encounters since he's joined the Other Side, it was really nice and somewhat shocking to see this caring side of him. He truly did love Charlie with everything he had.

Charlie managed to calm down a bit. She was able to even out her breathing and slow down the tears. Enzo was right, she needed to be strong for Damon. He lost Enzo and Stefan too. They needed each other now more than ever. They needed to work together to beat Markos and bring Stefan and Enzo back.

_"Good girl. Everything's gonna be alright Charlie. I promise you. We can't give up now, though. We have to fight. We'll do it together. I love you, so much, sweetheart." _

Again, Bonnie repeated what Enzo had said. Charlie whispered out a scratchy, "I love you, too."

She couldn't give up now. They've come so far. She was going to bring Stefan and Enzo back, even if it killed her.

Stefan watched silently from the Other Side. He had seen Charlie sobbing over his dead body and his heart broke. He heard her say she forgave him. He didn't know if she meant it, or if it was just something she said in a moment of mourning, but he'd like to think she meant it. He would hate it if he was dragged off into the unknown without his sister's forgiveness.

Soon, he would end up finding his long time dead friend, Lexi.

* * *

"Oh, my God. Stefan!" Elena said running to stand in front of Stefan. She sat down next to Charlie who was sitting on the coffee table wordlessly in front of her brother.

"We didn't know where to bring him, and we just couldn't leave him outside." Caroline said.

Damon looked down at his dead brother's body. He looked back up at Charlie to see tear tracks down her face. Bonnie had informed him of her breakdown. How close she was to flipping the switch. He couldn't blame her either. He wouldn't be strong enough to handle it. He wouldn't have thought twice about flipping the switch so he didn't have to feel that pain. He owed Enzo for being able to talk her down.

He circled the couch and pulled Charlie into his arms. She couldn't help the extra tears that squeezed out of her eyes.

"Bonnie has a plan, right? She-she said that she could bring people back." Caroline said, but nobody responded. "Tell me that she can bring him back!"

"We'll bring him back." Damon said strongly. "Come on. Let's get away from prying eyes."

* * *

Bonnie and Damon were in the dorm room while Charlie was in the bathroom getting herself together.

Damon kicked a wooden chair, breaking it in his frustrated and angry state. He would have done more, but he needed to stay strong for Charlie. He needed to believe that everything would work out. That didn't mean, however, that he wouldn't lash out a little bit, even if it was at inanimate objects.

"Damon, stop." Bonnie told him.

He uses a metal rod to break a flower pot on the mantle. He turned and pointed the rod at Bonnie. "You said you had a plan Bonnie."

"I did. I had a Traveler who knew the right spell." Bonnie said.

"And you lost her!" Damon exclaimed.

"I didn't lose her." Bonnie explained. "She was sucked into oblivion like everyone else on the Other Side."

"Then find another one!"

"It's more than just knowing the spell. Markos was able to come back because dozens of Travelers were willing to sacrifice themselves in order to overwhelm me. I doubt they'll be willing to do that for a bunch of supernatural strangers."

Damon pointed the metal rod at her again. "You know who needs motivation?" He advanced on her. "You need motivation, because if the Other Side goes away, everyone we know there, including you, goes away with it."

"I know that. Do you think I want to die?" Bonnie asked.

"My brother is over there." Damon pushed.

"I know that!"

Damon threw the metal rod across the room.

"So is Alaric, and so is your grams." He added.

"I know that, Damon."

Enzo cleared his throat. _"Let's not forget who else is at the top of the search and rescue list." _

"Enzo is here."

Damon turned around in the direction of Enzo, though he couldn't see him. "Well, if it's not Mr. Butterfingers himself. How'd it feel to have your only hop of coming back literally slip through your fingers?" Damon said with attitude. Don't blame him, he was on edge.

"Mr. Butterfingers talked your sister down from flipping the switch and losing her humanity." Bonnie informed him. Damon threw Bonnie a look. She was right, and Damon was thankful to Enzo for that, but he didn't like to be told off.

_"Exactly. Tell him to play nice. I have a plan." _Enzo informed Bonnie.

"Are you serious?" Bonnie asked Enzo. "You found another Traveler?"

"Who found a Traveler?" Charlie walked into the room. Since she had a bit to get herself together, she looked better. Not as red eyed and her face was tear stain free.

"Enzo has a plan." Bonnie told Charlie.

"Well, then get on it!" Damon yelled in Enzo's direction.

_"I'm already on it, mate. You still need someone to do this coming back from the dead spell. I assume you still have a witch or two in your pocket." _

"More or less." Bonnie muttered.

* * *

"Class is in session." Damon said from a Whitmore classroom. He, Charlie, Jeremy, and Matt were looking at a map of Mystic Falls. "First assignment – Anti-magic perimeter. Gilbert, what do you got?"

"I walked around Mystic Falls this morning to see where my hunter instincts disappeared." Jeremy said.

"Meaning what, your biceps shrunk, and your brain got smaller?"

"Meaning that I have a supernatural urge to kill vampires, so wherever I hated you less, there was no magic." Jeremy explained.

Charlie laughed and Damon sent her a look of 'really,' which she just shrugged her shoulders at.

They all looked down at the map on the table which had a big red circle marking the perimeter of the 'no magic' zone. "The cemetery's outside of the no-magic perimeter, a couple of un-populated areas other than that." Damon said.

Caroline and Elena were on the phone on speaker. "_Hey, Professor Salvatore, not everyone can see the map." _

_"Yeah, don't forget about us."_ Elena mentioned.

"You had one job to do, blue-eyes." Charlie told him.

"Sorry. I'll send you a picture right now." Matt apologized.

Matt took a picture of the map and sent it to Elena.

_"We should be there." _Elena said.

"Nope. You should not be. You are on witch duty because without crazy locks, no one's rising form the dead. So, next order of business, mass murder."

"My favorite." Charlie mentioned earning an agreeing smirk from Damon.

"Quarterback?" Damon asked. Matt set out another set of maps. "Thank you. Okay, we got these from the Sheriff. Apparently there was some truth to her evacuation story. There's a major gas line that runs underneath the town. Now if it did leak, it could be deadly; as in massive explosion kind of deadly."

"We can't blow up our hometown." Matt argued.

"Says one of the only people left in this group who can actually live there."

_"We're not blowing up our town. We just need to lure enough Travelers to one spot." _Elena agreed with Matt.

_"How?" _Caroline asked. _"We can't lure anyone anywhere stuck out here." _

"And that's where your mama comes in." Damon said. "She will convince them to gather somewhere inside. Meanwhile, these two geniuses at 7:00 will turn on the gas, let it leak. We'll have about 10 minutes before anyone can smell it. You clear out. BOOM! Travelers gone, resurrection spell starts, loved ones return. Good? Good? Class dismissed."

Jeremy and Matt left to work on their part of the plan.

"What about Markos?" Charlie asked Damon.

"What about him?" Damon asked.

"We need to make sure that Markos stays at the Grill. If we're doing all of this, I want to make sure the bastard goes down with the rest of them. Caroline's mom can convince them all to gather somewhere inside, but what's going to keep Markos there? I don't want to put Liz in anymore danger than she already will be just by being there."

"Well, what do you suggest Charlie? None of us supernaturals can be in Mystic Falls to keep an eye on him." Damon said.

"I can." Charlie stated.

Damon stared at Charlie. "What do you mean?"

Charlie sighed. "I can be in Mystic Falls. That deal with Markos is still on the table. I can go to the Grill and pretend I accepted his deal to stay in Mystic Falls. Keep him there."

"What about the part where you die when the whole place explodes?" Damon asked, not understanding why she was even suggesting this.

"What about you?" At Damon's confused face, Charlie continued. "I'm not stupid Damon. In order for the Grill to explode, something big has to spark it. That's what you plan to do isn't it? Somehow, you're going to set off the explosion which will kill yourself in the process."

Damon was silent. Of course she would figure it out. Damn her intelligence!

"Fine. Okay? You're right. That was my plan. But Charlie, if you stay at the Grill when it bursts into flames, you'll die."

"And then I'll come back, if Bonnie's plan works like she says it will I'll come back. Me, you, Stefan, Enzo… we'll all come back from the Other Side." Charlie tried to tell him.

"But what if it doesn't? What if her plan doesn't work and you die for good?" Damon asked almost frantically.

"What if her plan doesn't work and _you _die for good?" Charlie asked. "Damon, I couldn't stand it if I lost you too. Enzo, Stefan… I'm _barely _holding it together as it is. If I lost you too… I have nothing. If you died, there would be nothing stopping me from flipping the switch and who knows what I'll do then. The only reason I didn't earlier was for you, and I seriously thought about turning it all off. But I didn't because, let's face it, you'd be nowhere without me." Charlie smiled at her brother earning one in return. "Let me do this Damon. Besides, you know how much I love a good explosion."

Damon smiled kindly at his sister before pulling her into a hug, tucking her head underneath his chin. He didn't know what he would do without Charlie. But she was right. Damon was planning to be the catalyst that set off the explosion at the grill. If Bonnie's plan works, then everyone will come back to this side in one piece. No muss, no fuss. He just had to hope for the best.

"Liz will gather everyone there. She'll leave and then I'll make sure that Markos stays there. He's not getting out of this one." Charlie said.

"I admire the grudge you hold against him." Damon joked getting a small laugh from Charlie. He sighed. "Be safe, okay? I don't like the fact that Markos has a thing for you."

"Neither do I. You be safe too, Damon. We only have one shot at this. Do it smart, alright?"

"Don't you worry, Charlie. That place is going up in flames."

* * *

"I warned you they probably wouldn't give you the chance to speak." Markos told Liz in the middle of the loud and crowded Grill.

"Well, they don't seem to have a problem with the free food." Liz said. She made a move to leave but Markos stepped in front of her, cutting off her path.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I'm clearly not going to have much of an impact here, so I think it's time I take my own orders and evacuate."

"We're not lawless, you know. We could use someone like you. Have a drink with me. Allow me to convince you that this can still be your home." Markos tried to persuade her.

"My home is a place my daughter can come visit. Goodbye." She said and went to take her leave but was once again stopped.

"Please. I insist."

The two sat down at a table. Liz needed to get out of there, but she couldn't just leave without him noticing. Markos was about to start a conversation when he saw someone extremely unexpected walk through the door; Charlie Salvatore.

She stopped in the doorway of the Grill, taking in her surroundings. She spotted Markos and Liz at a table, so she took a deep breath and made her way over to them.

Markos stood up to greet her. "Charlie. What an unexpected but lovely surprise."

She looked at Liz who had a look of surprise on her face as well; she was unaware of this part of the plan.

"Can I talk to you?" Charlie asked Markos then glanced at Liz. "In private?"

She was trying to tell Liz that everything was okay; that this was part of the plan and that while she was distracting Markos, Liz needed to leave.

"Of course. I'll always have a moment to spare for you." Markos said but turned to Liz. "If you'll excuse us, Sheriff. But don't go too far, I'd still like to have a word with you."

Markos turned to lead Charlie to another table and Liz and Charlie shared a look of 'crap.' Liz couldn't leave now. If she wasn't there when Markos went to talk to her, he would get suspicious and know that something was up.

Markos pulled out a seat Charlie before sitting across from her. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Charlie released a breath of air. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said yesterday."

"What about it?"

"About how I'm always put last. How everyone else's problems matter before mine. That my happiness is put after everyone else's. And I've decided that you're right. Why should everyone else come before me? I think after all I've been through I deserve to be happy. And hey, there's a certain amount of power that comes with being the only vampire right?" Charlie said, completely lying about everything.

Markos smiled at her. "I'm glad you see things my way. A beautiful intelligent girl such as yourself deserves the best. You've been put last for far too long in my opinion. But what about that 'love of your life' you felt so strongly about? Given your speech yesterday I highly doubt that you have moved on?" He asked, a little skeptical.

"Again, I thought about what you said and you were right. He's dead now. There's nothing I can do about it. He's gone and he's not coming back. I need to accept that. And, no, at this point I'm not over him. I did really love him. But I think, given time, and with the help of a certain traveler… I can get over him." Charlie said.

She literally tasted the bile in her mouth from talking so hideously about Enzo. But she had to remember, 'Keep him here, and he dies with the rest of us.'

Markos smiled a confident smirk. "I agree. Given time I think you'll find someone much more worthy of your affections."

Charlie smiled back, but on the inside she was laughing her ass off. Why the hell would Markos be 'worthy' of her affections? The only one who deserves her love is Enzo.

Markos and Charlie made their way back over to Liz. They needed a way for her to get out of here. But so far, Markos hasn't said a thing about what he supposedly, 'wanted to talk to her about.'

Liz's phone started to vibrate again, but she rejected the call.

"Another phone call in five minutes…" Markos mentioned.

"What am I doing here?" Liz asked.

"You know, I was wondering the same thing. You evacuated the town, yet you stayed behind to lecture us on our civic duties?" Markos asked.

"A captain goes down with his ship." Liz said.

"Or you're up to something." Markos stated.

To get the attention off of Liz, Charlie said, "Do you smell gas?"

Markos looked at her but then smelt the gas too. They went back into the kitchen to 'investigate' the smell.

"I think there's a leak coming from the hatch." Liz said.

Markos bent down to take the panel away from the wall but Liz knocked him on the back of the head with her gun, supposedly unconscious.

"Not bad there Momma Forbes." Charlie compliments Liz. "Text Damon, then run as fast as you can out of here."

Liz nodded and sent a message to Damon, **They're here. Go now.**

Out of nowhere, Markos jumps up and knocks Liz unconscious instantly. Markos turned to Charlie's surprised face. "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. I was willing to give you a life where you weren't put last." He said advancing on her. "I could've given you power, happiness, love. I thought you were smarter than to turn down an offer like that."

"The only person I'll ever love is Enzo, and you're an idiot to think otherwise." Charlie said with anger. Like she would ever love anyone else? Never.

"Poor Charlie. Your little Enzo is dead. And you're about to join him."

Just as Markos jumped at Charlie, the Mystic Grill exploded in flames….

* * *

"Bonnie!" Elena yelled, running through the trees. The last of the Travelers had passed through her and now she was waiting on her friends.

"Elena! Did it work? Are you…?"

"Yes!" It had worked. Elena was still a vampire when she died.

"Yeah." Bonnie said in relief.

"Did Damon?" Elena asked hopefully.

Bonnie didn't say anything because she hadn't seen Damon yet.

"I'm right here." Damon said coming out of the trees. He looked around, "Where's Charlie?"

"Charlie?" Both Elena and Bonnie questioned.

"Why would Charlie be here?" Bonnie asked.

"She was distracting Markos since she was able to be in Mystic Falls. She should be here."

"I'm here." Charlie stumbled through a bush towards them. "Damn. Dying hurt more than I thought it would."

Everyone let out a breath of relief to see the youngest Salvatore with them. She may be dead, but she wouldn't be for long.

"Okay. When you guys pass through me, you're going to wake up with your bodies on the Other Side. I need you to get back here as fast as you can." Bonnie explained.

"Okay." They all agreed.

Damon and Elena went through to the Other Side. But before Charlie went she told Bonnie, "Don't tell Enzo or Stefan about me alright? I don't want them to miss their chance crossing over waiting for me."

After a moment of hesitance, Bonnie agreed and Charlie passed through to the Other Side and they all appeared next to their own bodies at the Grill.

Elena appeared next to her body that was charred and seat belted into the car.

"Did you seriously wear your seatbelt?" Alaric asked, appearing next to her.

"Oh my God! Alaric, what are you doing he-"

"Come on, you gotta go." Alaric interrupted her.

"But what about Damon? And Charlie? I need to find them." Elena argued.

"No, you need to go home to your brother. I'll find Damon and Charlie." Alaric said sternly.

"I can't!"

"Go on. Elena, get out of here. Go."

After another moment of reluctance, she agreed. "Okay."

Damon was next to his body that was charred and burnt almost beyond recognition, like many other bodies in the grill. He was about to go looking for Charlie before he spotted Liz Forbes.

"Liz! No. No, no, no." A ceiling beam was stopping Damon from pulling her out. He tried to lift the beam, but struggled to do so until Alaric showed up to help. They propped the beam up so it wouldn't be lying on Liz anymore.

"Friendly advice: When you finally get the girl, don't blow her up." Alaric told Damon.

Damon laughed. "Good to see you too, buddy."

"Yeah." They bother heard groaning coming from Liz. "I think she's going to be okay."

"Where's Charlie?" Damon asked. Why can't he keep track of her?

Damon and Alaric looked around before they heard. "I'm here."

Charlie came into the room. She had went out to look for Damon after she appeared next to her body, only to find Damon was next to Liz, therefore in the same room her body was in.

"Man, this place is a dump. Matt's a suck ass bus boy." Charlie said. The two men laughed at her. "Lookin' good for a dead guy Ric."

Ric smiled at her. "Thanks, Charlie."

* * *

Bonnie, Tyler, Stefan, Lexi, and Enzo were standing in front of the crypt in the cemetery waiting for Damon, and unbeknownst to Stefan and Enzo, they were also waiting for Charlie. Bonnie kept her word to not tell Enzo or Stefan about Charlie dying. She would be here soon. Everything would be okay.

Luke ran out of the crypt. "Bonnie! Bonnie! Hey! It's too much for her. We need to start now!"

"No! We need to go together. Damon isn't here yet." Stefan argued.

"I don't care." Luke said and grabbed onto Bonnie, therefore crossing over to the other side.

"You need to come through." Bonnie told Tyler. It was dark and the wind was blowing on the other side, so they had to practically yell to get the others to hear.

"What about everybody else?" Tyler asked.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Enzo said.

"No!" Bonnie yelled but it was too late, he was already on the living side.

He didn't care about the others. Well, Stefan and Damon because Charlie would be devastated without them, but they would be here soon. All he wanted right now was to see Charlie and hold her.

Caroline showed up in the cemetery.

"Ah, Blondie, where's the love of my life at?" He said and looked behind her, expecting Charlie to be following.

"What? I don't know." Caroline said confused since she hadn't seen Charlie for a while.

Before they could say any more, Tyler appeared back on the living side.

"Tyler?" Caroline asked cautiously, afraid that he may still be Julian.

"Yeah! It's me." Tyler smiled. They ran into each other's arms in a warm embrace, but pulled back from the strangeness of it. "Woah."

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked.

"That felt different."

"What do you mean?"

Tyler looked around and grabbed a rock. He cut himself across his palm, but he didn't heal.

"You're not healing…" Caroline muttered.

"I'm not a hybrid anymore." Tyler said.

"Enough about that! Where the hell is Charlie?" Enzo yelled. He knew they were keeping something form him.

Bonnie decided that he and Stefan needed to know.

"She's on the Other Side." Bonnie told him.

"WHAT?!" Both he and Stefan yelled.

"She was in the Grill when it exploded. She died and we just have to wait on her and Damon to show up. Then she'll be back on this side." Bonnie tried to tell him.

Enzo ran his hands through his hair in anger and frustration. He was too busy working with Bonnie and Silas to bring him back, that he had no idea that Charlie was at the Grill, about to die.

"What was she doing?" Stefan asked, also angry that he didn't know.

"She was making sure that Markos died with the rest of them." Bonnie said.

"Why didn't we know? Why didn't you tell us?" Enzo asked Bonnie angrily. She obviously knew that Charlie was dead since she had to pass through Bonnie in the first place.

"She didn't want you to miss your chance by waiting for her." Bonnie tried to explain.

"You're damn right! Take me back." Enzo said.

"It doesn't work that way. Look she'll be here." She told Enzo before turning back to those on the Other Side. "Come on guys, we don't have much time. Grab my hand!"

Lexi said to Stefan, "Go. Go!"

"No."

"You have to go! Come on!" Lexi said.

Elena arrived back at the crypt. "I can't find Damon or Charlie!"

"You go. I'll wait here." Stefan told her.

"No I'm not leaving without him!" Elena said, refusing to leave the one she loved on the Other Side. Just as most would do the same.

"This place is falling apart." Stefan tried to tell her.

"No!" Elena argued, but Bonnie grabbed her, therefore forcing her to pass back through her onto the living side.

"Elena! Thank God!" Caroline said.

"No! Bonnie! Why would you do that?! I can't leave without him!" Elena yelled, angry that her friend would do that.

"We'll find him." Bonnie said before she started coughing up blood.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

"Oh my God! Bonnie?" Caroline said, worried.

Bonnie almost fell to the ground, but out of instinct Stefan caught her, bringing him back to the living side.

"No. No. No." Stefan said, realizing what he'd done.

"Stefan!" Caroline yelled happily.

"I was just trying…"

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked.

"Damon, Charlie… they're not here yet." Stefan said.

"This is not happening." Elena said, tears welling in her eyes.

"It's okay. I can do this." Bonnie assured them.

"Come on, Charlie. Don't do this to me." Enzo quietly begged.

On the Other Side, Lexi said, "Bonnie, this is killing you isn't it?"

"I can hold on. I have to. Just come through. We have to finish this!"

"Not just yet!" Markos announced.

Lexi lunged at Markos as he went for Bonnie, trying to get back on the living side. They continued to fight until Markos pinned Lexi down. She smiled up at him as the darkness showed up to take him to the unknown.

"Lexi! Come on! It's your turn!" Bonnie told her.

"Every person that passes through takes you one step closer to death. What kind of a best friend would I be if you died before Stefan got his brother and sister back?" Lexi argued. She stood back and held her arms out, talking to the darkness. "You're not going to get me." A bright light appeared around Lexi and she disappeared, finally finding peace.

"Bonnie!" Damon yelled, showing up with Charlie and Ric.

"Thank God!" Bonnie said in relief and instantly grabbed Ric to bring him back to the living side.

"Where's Elena?" Damon asked.

"And Enzo?" Charlie added.

"They made it through." Bonnie told them.

"Okay." They said.

"Come on." Bonnie grabs onto Charlie as she closes her eyes, bracing herself to be brought back… but nothing happened.

Bonnie lets go and grabs onto Charlie again but still, nothing. She grabs Damon's arm, wondering if anything will change, but the same thing happens. It's not working.

"Well, would you look at that…" Damon said.

* * *

"Oh my God! Liv!" Elena entered the crypt to see the spell had stopped and Liv and Luke were nowhere to be found.

"Bonnie! We need to find them. We need to start the spell again." Elena told Bonnie.

"We can't! That was our one shot." Bonnie told her.

"Yeah, but Damon is on the other side… Charlie… we have to-"

"Elena!" Bonnie stopped her, struggling to contain her emotions. "It's too late."

"No." Elena mutters in denial.

"He's here. You can say goodbye." She told Elena before walking out of the crypt. She ran into Enzo outside.

"Where is she?" Enzo asked, although he had the sickening feeling that he already knew the answer.

Bonnie just shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"NO! You're lying!" Enzo yelled.

"I'm so sorry." Bonnie said quietly.

Unable to do anything, Enzo stormed away.

* * *

Stefan was sitting in the graveyard alone until Caroline sat next to him.

"I lost them. All three of them. The three people I've known the longest in this world… gone."

"Lexi?" Caroline asked.

"She never came out. Neither did Markos. I know that's not a coincidence. It was her, uh, her unfinished business. And Damon, uh, he finally had everything he wanted. Charlie, she had Enzo. She finally had the one she loved. They were happy… they should be here."

Unable to control his emotions, he put his head down and cried for the friend he lost. For the family he will never see again.

Caroline wrapped her arms around him in hopes of a silent comfort.

Charlie watched on from the Other Side and smiled sadly at her brother. _"I love you, brother." _

She walked away from Stefan in search of Enzo. He wasn't at the crypt and she knew he wouldn't want to be around anyone right now. She finally found him further in the cemetery, collapsed against the bottom of a tree, knees bent and staring at nothing. Tears were falling freely down his face, unable to hold them in.

_"Wow, it is so good to see you again."_ Charlie said, though he couldn't hear her.

Enzo felt her presence. He knew, he just knew that she was there with him right now. A chill went down his spine but it made him feel worse; knowing she was there but not being able to see her. Is this how she felt when he was around on the Other Side?

Charlie sat directly in front of him reaching out to grasp his hand.

He felt what would be her hand holding his and it made his heartbreak even more. More tears began to stream down his face.

_"I'm so sorry."_ Charlie said to him. _"It was never supposed to be this way. We were never supposed to be separated like this. We were supposed to live a life of our own, together. I'm so sorry it never happened the way we wanted it to._

_"I know you can't hear me, but I'm going to say it anyway. I love you, Enzo, so much. You've given me everything I've ever wanted. True love. If you really count our years together, it's not a lot, but in those years you made me the happiest person alive. You loved me for who I am. You saw me at my weakest, most vulnerable, and even then you loved me. That's more than I ever dreamed of. _

_"I can never thank you enough for loving me. For keeping me together when I wanted to fall apart. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad I did it._

_"We've been separated before, and no amount of apologies can explain how sorry I am for letting it happen again. Just know that I love you, with everything I have. If you never believe in anything else in this world, at least believe in that. That Charlotte Salvatore loves you." _Charlie was unable to fight the tears falling from her eyes.

"I can't do this without you Charlie." Enzo cried, broken. "You just… you can't leave me."

_"I never wanted to. You know that. I'm so sorry." _She couldn't apologize enough for leaving him.

She's felt what he's feeling right now. When they were back at the Augustines, Charlie believed Enzo to be dead. She knows what he's feeling and it's the most crippling pain you can ever imagine, especially for a vampire. She would never be able to apologize enough for making him feel the way she once had.

_"Take care of my brother, okay? Stay strong for me. I know how hard it is, but you gotta stay strong Enzo."_

Enzo needed to be strong for her. He knew what she would say. 'Don't turn it off.' To be honest, as soon as he found out that Charlie wasn't coming back, he wanted to shut it off, to turn off the pain. It would be so much easier right? No. Charlie wouldn't want that for him. She wouldn't want him to take the easy way out. She'd want him to remember the love they shared.

It would be hard, but he'd hold on for her… his hope.

"I love you, Charlie." Enzo whispered.

_"I love you, Enzo." _Charlie whispered back.

She knew she had to say goodbye. She leaned forward, put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed his forehead.

Enzo squeezed his eyes shut, feeling a pressure on his forehead and face, knowing this was it.

She grabbed his hand on last time and held on as long as she could while walking away. But with one final step, her hand slipped from Enzo's and she instantly felt the bone numbing chill of knowing that this was the last time she would see him.

Enzo felt her hand slip from his and his heart shattered into a million pieces. That was it. He would never see her, never hold her, never kiss her, never be able to tell her how much he loved her again.

She was gone.

* * *

Charlie met up with Damon and Bonnie. Damon wrapped his arm around Charlie seeing her tear stained face. He'd just had his own goodbye with Elena and knew what she was feeling. They shared a sad smile together.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie!" Jeremy yelled, racing through the cemetery. But before he could reach Bonnie, the same darkness that had taken away everyone else reared its ugly head.

"This place is going down, isn't it?" Damon asked.

Holes of light began to appear on the Other Side, wind blowing around them.

"It is." Bonnie confirmed.

Charlie was standing between Damon and Bonnie. She grasped both of the hands, intertwining her fingers with theirs in a vice grip as they returned the grip just as strong. "You know, out of all the people I could be standing here with right now… I'm glad it's you two."

Bonnie smiled at her. "You, yes. I don't know about Damon. There's a few other people I'd rather have standing here than him.

"A couple thousand at most." Damon joked to Bonnie but then looked at Charlie. "But I'm glad you're here with me Charlie."

They shared a sibling smile. Saying in just that small gesture everything that needed to be said; that they loved each other and that everything would be okay.

The three stared ahead as a bright, almost blinding light appeared before them, swallowing everything around them.

"Do you think it'll hurt?" Bonnie asked.

The three gripped hands tightly, preparing themselves for what was to come. Damon answered,

"I don't…"

…

* * *

**I'm sorry. I truly am. I seriously cried writing this chapter, but I felt like in order to properly transition this story into next season it had to be done. **

**Thanks to everyone who read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story. It's gotten so much more feedback than I had hoped for and I'm very happy with the turn out. **

**I'm thinking of doing extra bonus chapters. Like if you have a favorite episode from past seasons that you think would be cool to write Charlie into, let me know. **

**Please review! Tell me your thoughts and feelings about this emotional chapter. :)**

**Love you all! **


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